Easter Egger club!

[junebuggena]

Junebuggena I have a question about this. If they aren't all mixed but not bred for a specific standard, and some are mixed, is this why there's so much variation in what you get for appearance?

I am calling my birds easter eggers but they were sold as Ameraucanas. Only the potential rooster is getting fluffy cheeks but my pullet isnt although she has a different color feathers where the muffs and beard should be.

Plus my roo has green legs but the pullet has the slate blue legs. Based on what I have read, I am assuming, bad word I know lol, that I have mixed breed chicks.

What actually classifies a bird as an easter egger?

Technically, Easter Eggers are any bird that lays blue/green eggs, that doesn't meet the breed standards for Ameraucana and Araucana. When the original blue/green layers were imported from South America, in the early 1900s, they was a huge amount of variety in the birds. And there was no distinction between Ameraucana, Araucana, and Easter Eggers. They were ALL called Araucana. It's these that hatcheries obtained, and have been breeding from ever since.
Prior to them being imported to the U.S., they had already been heavily cross bred with European breeds. And they were never strictly blue laying birds.

 

[igorsMistress]

Technically, Easter Eggers are any bird that lays blue/green eggs, that doesn't meet the breed standards for Ameraucana and Araucana. When the original blue/green layers were imported from South America, in the early 1900s, they was a huge amount of variety in the birds. And there was no distinction between Ameraucana, Araucana, and Easter Eggers. They were ALL called Araucana. It's these that hatcheries obtained, and have been breeding from ever since. 
Prior to them being imported to the U.S., they had already been heavily cross bred with European breeds. And they were never strictly blue laying birds.

Interesting. Obviously I need to do some more research on this. I am finding you have to dig deep to get past all the junk though. There is so much misinformation out there it's hard to sort the wheat from the chaff on these guys.

Thank you so much for the info, it has given me some ways to narrow my search. I love to learn about the kinds of chickens I have. You are a wealth of information!

 

[junebuggena]

Interesting. Obviously I need to do some more research on this. I am finding you have to dig deep to get past all the junk though. There is so much misinformation out there it's hard to sort the wheat from the chaff on these guys.

Thank you so much for the info, it has given me some ways to narrow my search. I love to learn about the kinds of chickens I have. You are a wealth of information!

http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/history.html
This is a very detailed history of the origins of the Ameraucana, Araucana, and Easter Egger birds.

 

[sannabelle]

@MCArt20 I have your chickens twin, too! Mine lays a peach colored egg We call her crazy eyes. Hahaha

 

[igorsMistress]

http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/history.html
This is a very detailed history of the origins of the Ameraucana, Araucana, and Easter Egger birds.

Thank you!

 

[tminer]

Thoughts on this 10 week old EE? Roo or hen? The lack of a red comb and fairly uniform patern make me think hen but I heard someone say the black and white ones are usually roos?

 

[PeepersMama]

The hackles make me think rooster, as does the tail, which is rather pointy, but the rest makes me lean toward hen.... I do think its safe to say hen for now, but I wouldn't be too sure....

 

[junebuggena]

Thoughts on this 10 week old EE? Roo or hen? The lack of a red comb and fairly uniform patern make me think hen but I heard someone say the black and white ones are usually roos?

Pullet.

 

[tminer]

The hackles make me think rooster, as does the tail, which is rather pointy, but the rest makes me lean toward hen.... I do think its safe to say hen for now, but I wouldn't be too sure....

Thats where I'm at too. Haha a couple of its 'siblings' had bright red combs and no real pattern so I knew they were roos and found them new homes but this one is stickin around a while longer

 

[junebuggena]

Thats where I'm at too. Haha a couple of its 'siblings' had bright red combs and no real pattern so I knew they were roos and found them new homes but this one is stickin around a while longer

You've got to look past the black patterning to the overall shape of the feather, edged in silver. You have to ignore the black and see that silver edge.