Easter Egger club!

[MEMama3]

Can easter eggers have feathered feet??????

yup! EEs are made by combining a blue egg layer with a brown egg layer. Several brown egg breeds have feathered feet.

 

[ChicknsRock]

I heard Sylvester's first crow today! It was charming.

 

[PrairieChickens]

Gryffindor's first crow sounded like someone was squeezing it out of him. It was really quite silly, and he didn't grow out of it until the past couple of months.

 

[kenzier093]

Can easter eggers have feathered feet??????

Yea. They are mixed with ameraucanas and anything else. So yes, it is possible.

 

[Gryphon]

yup! EEs are made by combining a blue egg layer with a brown egg layer. Several brown egg breeds have feathered feet.

This is more sometimes the case. An EE can also be an Ameracauna that doesn't meet the breed standard (like a cross breeding between two approved colors...Even though genetically they're the same thing, the color is wrong therefore it's an EE).

Ameracaunas and EE's are both descended from the same stock, a blue-egg laying South American breed called the Quechua. With the Ameracauna, a group of people focused on making a strict set of colors and other things like leg color, body shape, and anything that doesn't fit into that mold is an EE.

EE's can also have just as strict a breeding program, there are more than a few breeders who have produced EE's with even bluer eggs than Ameracauna breeders due to focusing solely on egg color instead of body type, color, and other things. This can result in birds that look quite different from each other, but have all one thing in common, blue eggs.

Saying all that, it is possible for an EE to have feathered legs, I've seen pics of a Cochin/EE cross that was quite the fluffy thing with feathered feet and lay a nice light blue egg. Feathered legs aren't too common in EE's though.

 

[MEMama3]

This is more sometimes the case. An EE can also be an Ameracauna that doesn't meet the breed standard (like a cross breeding between two approved colors...Even though genetically they're the same thing, the color is wrong therefore it's an EE).

Ameracaunas and EE's are both descended from the same stock, a blue-egg laying South American breed called the Quechua. With the Ameracauna, a group of people focused on making a strict set of colors and other things like leg color, body shape, and anything that doesn't fit into that mold is an EE.

EE's can also have just as strict a breeding program, there are more than a few breeders who have produced EE's with even bluer eggs than Ameracauna breeders due to focusing solely on egg color instead of body type, color, and other things. This can result in birds that look quite different from each other, but have all one thing in common, blue eggs.

Saying all that, it is possible for an EE to have feathered legs, I've seen pics of a Cochin/EE cross that was quite the fluffy thing with feathered feet and lay a nice light blue egg. Feathered legs aren't too common in EE's though.

I was going with the brief answer, but... I wrote posted in my blog awhile back on the topic: http://104homestead.weebly.com/1/post/2014/02/araucana-ameraucana-or-easter-egger.html. I completely agree with you, but MY PERSONAL thought is that a non-SOP bird (ameraucana or araucana) does not become an EE. Especially when you recognize that not all EEs lay blue or green eggs. I realize "easter egger" isn't a breed, but think of it this way: a purebred buff orpington is still a buff orpington even if it doesn't meet SOP. It doesn't change breeds and it wouldn't be a mutt.

 

[Gryphon]

I actually think it's a bit weird that say, a black Ameracauna crossed with a Wheaten suddenly morphs into an EE, but that seems to be the way the Ameracauna breeders want it. There's other things that I find odd about the qualifiers for the breed, which to me makes it lokk more like an exclusive club instead of an inclusive group that wants to improve a breed, and would be happy to have anyone join in as long as they aren't causing harm.

I might be way off here, but fromwhat I've seen with EE's is that as long as you're having fun and being honest, it's all good. Want to make blue layers with crests? Awesome. EE's that lay jumbo eggs? Teeny cute EE's? EE's with no beards because you like them better without? (personally I love the beards, but if there's a group that wants them then that's what they want.) I almost see EE's as more of a...Work breed. For instance take the Quarterhorse. Originally a hardy stock breed and good all around cowhorse, it's been split into different bloodlines, one of which is useless for working cows because breeders focused solely on the looks, producing an animal that breaks down by the time it's fully grown and looks more like a cow than a athletic horse, all in search of ribbons. (personally, I think any breed that has a lethal element to it needs to be severely reassessed, like Bulldogs that can't give birth without a c-section.)

Well that turned into a rant. >_< I'll definitely give your blog a read.

 

[Katt66]

And that's what I love about EE's. The sky's the limit with what you can do with them.

I do believe the hatchery birds ARE all in fact pure Ameraucanas. They don't, however, keep the different colors separate and let them just breed for the hatching eggs. Which makes for an incredible grab bag assortment. Easter Egger is a very accurate name for these rainbow colored birds. You really never know exactly what you're going to get.

I personally plan on finding a nice Silkie rooster to cross with my EE pullets in the hopes of making a line of blue egg laying, fluffy footed, crested, bearded and muffed snuggle birds.

 

[Gryphon]

I'm slogging through the "EE braggers thread" from the beginning and there's a few people who have gone for that combination, they look super fluffy. The only thing I wouldn't like about that cross is smaller eggs/extra broodiness, or do you think that wouldn't be an issue?

 

[insanity]

That is what culling is for, undesired traits. Choose larger pullets for bigger eggs and only set the "bigger" eggs for F2 chicks. Watch for excessive broodiness and don't use eggs from those hens in future generations. Good luck.Your project sounds adorable. I'm trying to produce a blue/black speckled(similar to SFH) EE line, bearded,crested, and clean legged.