easter egg layer (real name)

[chick_magnet]

I am wanting to easter egg layer from this farmer. What is the technical name for this breed? I want to look them up because the guy said this pullets are 5 months old and they will be laying in three months. I've always thought that pullets lay around 4-5 month. does easter egg laying take this long to lay eggs

 

[Sequin]

Not typical to take 8 months to start laying. Are you SURE these birds you are considering are pullets??? I hope this farmer isn't trying to pull a fast one on ya. By 6 months they ought to be starting to lay eggs, typically; there are always exceptions but on average, by 6 months EEs ought to be laying.

Most EEs are marketed as Americaunas, but finding a pure bred americauna is hard to do, and you won't be finding it in most hatcheries/farm stores etc.

 

[chick_magnet]

yeah thats what i was thinking too he is tryin to pull a fast one. he said he is goin to be moving and that is why he is sellin it. he is asking $6 per pullet. As for is it a pullet I really dont know. Never really raise a chicken more than a year really. is there a different between hen and pullets that the eye can see?

 

[pixie74943]

Easiest way to tell is look at their face. The comb will be BIG and RED on a boy, significantly smaller on a girl.

and sometimes they're called Araucana's But its pretty obvious when its a true araucana and when they're trying to sell it as one, since Araucanas are rumpless (actually missing the last vertebrae, and therefore have no tail) and have adorable little face tufts


Also roos have sickle feathers, growing about halfway down their back. They're a lot pointier than a hens, and should be noticeable. And in some breeds they're a different colour to the other feathers..

I want a rooster now, they're so perty

 

[chick_magnet]

Quote:
thanks didn't know that araucanas have one less vertebrae. so if i meet with the farmer and the so call easter layer has a tail its not a araucana? I've read that there almost all the araucanas here in the US are mixed. Could hybrids have an last vertebrae or is that a dominant gene. If it is a hybrid will they still lay colored eggs

 

[Tiramisu]

"so if i meet with the farmer and the so call easter layer has a tail its not a araucana?" Yes, that means the breed is not pure and guess that would make an EE. And it should lay a colored egg

 

[anniem]

EasterEgger (EE) is a mix breed that has some color egg layer breed in it (Ameracauna or Aracauna). The full breeds are only going to come from breeders, not hatcheries. And they aren't too common. They'd also go for more than $6 at that age (probably pay that per egg!).
I'm not sure about the laying, but I'm pretty sure that even a slow to start laying breed is gonna start in the 6-7 month range.
By that age EEs are usually pretty easy to sex, a pullet (young hen) will have very little comb and it might be kinda pink (if not still yellow). A cockeral (young roo) is gonna have a fat red comb. But they usually have pea combs to it's not going to be sticking up. Do a search of this site and you'll see many many threads from those of us trying to figure out what we have!

Unless the guy is an Aracauna breeder, he does not have Aracaunas. They are particularly rare in the US (an Australian bird, I believe--and they can have tails by the Aussie standard. Tailless is a US standard).
As for the egg, the EE is called that b/c they usually lay a blue/green egg. But, b/c they are a mix, it's not a guarantee like a purebred.

 

[pixie74943]

Quote:
thanks didn't know that araucanas have one less vertebrae. so if i meet with the farmer and the so call easter layer has a tail its not a araucana? I've read that there almost all the araucanas here in the US are mixed. Could hybrids have an last vertebrae or is that a dominant gene. If it is a hybrid will they still lay colored eggs

A Hyrbid may still lay coloured, and an ameracuana is supposed to have a tail. If they have a tail they dont count as Araucana's anymore. Basically an Easter Egger is a hybrid of Araucana/Ameracuana and anything else. They normally lay coloured eggs, but sometimes not.

Also, if a blue egg layer is crossed with a white egg layer they usually lay Blue eggs (sometimes plain white though)
and if a blue egg layer is crossed with a brown egg layer they usually lay Green eggs (sometimes brown though)

 

[charlieschickens]

If he is calling them easter eggers they prolly are just that. Even at five months old, if you go look, you should be able to tell males from females (in general). Males will have pointy hackle (neck) and sickle (right before the tail) feathers, where a females will be rounded.

 

[Dora'smom]

I have two EE's in my first flock, and one of them started laying at about 7 months, and the other one didn't start until about 10 months. I think mine are the extreme, but they are ready when they are ready, and not before. I love them so much that I got 3 more, and will just watch to see when they deliver.