Can I justify a LAYING flock of EEs?

[Qi Chicken]

We have 4 ee's from Estes hatchery. They are great layers. I don't really keep track of each hens production but I would say at least 5 per week out of each of them. They have also laid steadily through the very cold Iowa winter. They also lay the largest eggs of any of our chickens. 2 of them are consistently larger than extra large.

If I had to give up my current flock for some reason I would get all EEs. I love their personalities and those little muppet faces just melt you! We have had trouble with our welsummers. She is currently laying very funky eggs. One barred rock got mysteriously sick and stopped laying for a long time. I'm not sure if she is again or not. The buff orps are constantly broody so thier egg production goes down. The SLW are just Bi*$%^@ es. I don't know why. So long story short. GO with the EEs!

I have to say though that one of our EEs is kind of quirky. She likes to lay her egg in odd places. None of the others do this.

 

[RhodeRunner]

I don't see why you can't? My Easter Eggers lay just as well (if not better) then my other dual-purpose fowl. It is true that each Easter Egger tends to have a rather distinctive personality as well as their color, but that just adds to their fun.

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

My EE started a little later than everyone else but She has only missed 4 days the whole winter... She gives me my only blue eggs and I've had enough to put two in every doz I have sold all winter.. NICE... people love the blue eggs!!


see how pretty..

 

[Kassaundra]

I have 22 female EE from Meyer hatchery, the first started laying at just under 16 weeks, several more started laying before 20 weeks, they started laying in January. Most of the eggs now are still pullet sized, but the ones that have been laying longest are now large size. I think I am in the minority for early laying from what I've read on this site. They are laying almost daily (the ones that are laying now) beautiful blue and green eggs. I got quite a color variety, and personality wise they are great. There are a couple that are standoffish right now, but they just started laying and I understand that is normal behavior for that age. Anyway most follow me like a pack of puppies and even the roo eats from my hand, they look for any opportunity to perch or sit on me.

All the chicks (except 3 that died on arrival or shortly after) are healthy w/o any beak or leg/foot deformity, all but one has a winter face, and pea combs, I couldn't be happier w/ my choice I wanted a colorful chicken yard and a colorful egg basket and got both.

Here are a few of mine

Sorry I get carried away w/ pics of my girls.

 

[Liamm_1]

great pics Kassaundra! and also of all the others' EE's!
I have 3, one turned out to be a roo that gets bullied by all the hens in the flock lol. I really enjoy the color varieties, and will be very pleased to see what the roo and hens can produce. As far as being true to breed, I could care less. I have one that we call Flygirl, she has always loved flying up on things, including me, since she was in the brooder. That;s real cute and all...until I'm doing chores in the run and it's full of mud and poop

Those 'true to breed' folks rub me the wrong way anyways, so enjoying EE's is a nice thing to me

Can't wait to see what my 2 EE hens will provide for eggs

 

[ddzFunnyfarm]

oooh! What pretty girls you have, Kassaundra! I just LOVE their fuzzy faces.

*****
Devoted wife to the most patient coop-n-run builder on Earth, mom to 4 and their spouses, g-ma to 3+1 on the way

....I'm graciously allowed by the FunnyFarm inmates to serve them: Ruby the Lab/Pit galoot who thinks she's a lapdog, Smalls the slinky black feline who thinks she's God's gift to Ruby, 14 Jumbo CornishXs we're sending to Camp Freeze-em-up on April 1 (funny timing, eh?!!), Bruuuce the Ameraucana Roo who does not "get" that whole 'crow only at sun-up thing', our laying flock of 22 (Eenie, Meenie, Miney & Mo and The 3 Stooges the Ameraucanas, Cruella the WCBP and Balayage the GP, Lucy the RIR, Ethyl the NHR, Winnie & Dottie the BRs, Splash the SLW, Foghorn & Leghorn the WLs, Goldie & Starr the RSL & BSL, CC the Blk Minorca, JetBlue the Blue Andalusian, 'CBOF the Greedy' the Lt Brahma, and Abby-Normal the Red Frizzle Cochin Bantam who runs the place!)

 

[wingsofglory]

My experience is with Ideal EEs, and one other hatchery.

Loved them - only ones I would get a lot of for a laying flock.

And I've had Australorps, Red sex links, Comets, RIR, wyndottes,
brahmas, barred rocks, buff orpington, Anconas, Andalusians. The
EEs just didn't have the different problems or troubles the others
did.

My Ideal EEs began laying around 21 weeks or so.

Always good quality eggs - no cracks, weird eggs, shellless eggs.

Laid most every day. Laid all winter.

The Ideal EEs were slim so didn't eat a lot. The ones I had from
another hatchery were heavier and laid eggs so big couldn't close
the egg carton.

 

[Kansaseq]

My very first chickens were EE's. I've always had more than a few, and all have been very good layers. I say go for it!

 

[Towns End]

My dad crosses EE rooster with Brown leghorn hens. He keep the chicks with pea combs, muffs/beards and green legs. Makes a great flock of prolific colored (usually shades of blue) egg layers. They have a cross called a cream legbar in Europe that uses this cross and barred rock to get a autosexing blue egg layer. Don't think you can get them in America yet, but dads cross (minus the autosexiing) does really good.

 

[RainbowBirds_of_a_Feather]

Quote:
With my EE's when the season change they do a cycle. But because i give them an endless supply of mixed types of food they usually lay well. But that means to keep them well with free range, treats, and even confinement. But when they lay, they lay well. But the down side is that the ratio to feed is demanding. That is why variety is important. But with Leghorns and Sex-links-depending on type, you always have eggs that will be more abundant. So test it out everyone has their own opinion o breed success in laying and I can't complain. As long as i have a supply of eggs with a variety of color I am fine. plus i cross out and then cross in so I noticed that some hens are more so productive and I use that ans a roos of productiveness to get more eggs. Hope this helps for you....