Easter Egger club!

[DuckRaiser]

I would like to know some things about Easter Eggers, what do they look like? Are they small? Are they always having those muffs on their cheeks? Are they sweet?

 

[Gryphon]

In general, EE's are considered a Large Fowl but are fairly lightweight (6 lbs or so), typically have muffs and beards (soft feathers around the face), can be a bit flighty but are highly curious so will hang out with you. A common color is a wild type coloration that is an orange/brown base with black flecks, like Archaeopteryx here:

However, they come in just about any coloration and everything else about them is variable too, since there is no standard of perfection with EE's, so they are all over the place. Also, a lot of people consider a crossbreed of EE with ___ to still be an EE, so if a "typical" EE was crossed with a Light Brahma, you could end up with a much larger than usual very friendly EE that might not even lay blue eggs. Long answer to a short question, no?

 

[DuckRaiser]

In general, EE's are considered a Large Fowl but are fairly lightweight (6 lbs or so), typically have muffs and beards (soft feathers around the face), can be a bit flighty but are highly curious so will hang out with you. A common color is a wild type coloration that is an orange/brown base with black flecks, like Archaeopteryx here:


However, they come in just about any coloration and everything else about them is variable too, since there is no standard of perfection with EE's, so they are all over the place. Also, a lot of people consider a crossbreed of EE with ___ to still be an EE, so if a "typical" EE was crossed with a Light Brahma, you could end up with a much larger than usual very friendly EE that might not even lay blue eggs.

Long answer to a short question, no?

I've heard good things about them, what if I bred an Americana to a Pekin bantam, would that still be an EE?

 

[Gryphon]

Americana breeders would most certainly consider that cross an EE, the Pekin Bantam breeders might call it a PB/Americana cross, either way it would be very cute, and likely sweet (depending on the dispositions of the breeders, of course). It looks like Pekins lay light brown eggs, so you would end up with green egg layers (if your Americana carries two copies of blue) or a 50/50 mix of green and blue layers.

 

[DuckRaiser]

Americana breeders would most certainly consider that cross an EE, the Pekin Bantam breeders might call it a PB/Americana cross, either way it would be very cute, and likely sweet (depending on the dispositions of the breeders, of course). It looks like Pekins lay light brown eggs, so you would end up with green egg layers (if your Americana carries two copies of blue) or a 50/50 mix of green and blue layers.

I think I will most likely breed a Americana with a Pekin bantam because then I could breed the EEs and SUCCESS! I sell EEs all around!

 

[Gryphon]

It should be a lot of fun, and I encourage you to set out with some clear goals. Are you aiming for certain colored EEs? Extra fluffy ones? Do you care about egg color? Do you want bantam EEs? I've found this site to be excellent for explaining some of the genetics, particularly blue egg laying: http://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/genetics-mini-series/ Good luck, and be sure to post pictures!

 

[DuckRaiser]

It should be a lot of fun, and I encourage you to set out with some clear goals. Are you aiming for certain colored EEs? Extra fluffy ones? Do you care about egg color? Do you want bantam EEs? I've found this site to be excellent for explaining some of the genetics, particularly blue egg laying: http://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/genetics-mini-series/ Good luck, and be sure to post pictures!

Well I think dark green eggs would be nice and fluffiness will be nice too but either way I will love my EE

. I really hope I can get a small version of an EE the first try but what if the Americana injures the bantam while mating? Can a bigger chicken even mate with a bantam?

 

[Gryphon]

Ah, so your roo is the larger of the two? Depends on the size difference, and how careful he is. Also, if he only has one hen, that's usually not a good thing, since roosters typically do best with a harem of 5-10, since they mate A LOT, and even on hens sized for him there would be feather damage from frequent attention.

For dark green eggs (olive), you would need a strong blue layer with a strong dark brown layer, like a Marans. The base color of the egg is blue, and brown gets "sprayed" onto the exterior of the shell, so a nice blue with a tiny bit of brown on it (like with a light brown layer) would make the egg just kinda greenish.

Definitely read up on breeding practices and genetics, the more info you have the better.

 

[jerryse]

Well I think dark green eggs would be nice and fluffiness will be nice too but either way I will love my EE

. I really hope I can get a small version of an EE the first try but what if the Americana injures the bantam while mating? Can a bigger chicken even mate with a bantam?

Bantam and large fowl will breed. There are limits to everything and some work better one way than the other. What you plan should work fine. Peking bantam hmm are you in the UK perhaps.

 

[DuckRaiser]

Bantam and large fowl will breed. There are limits to everything and some work better one way than the other. What you plan should work fine. Peking bantam  hmm are you in the UK perhaps.

I am in Kansas but I just call them Pekin bantams anyway. I will most likely get this EE thing done this year hopefully.