Easter Egger club!

[lovechicks1293]

Hey people, show me pics of your EE's! And their names!

 

[annied24326]

It's good to get more than one kind of a breed.  2 EEs are nice but more would be better.  EEs are very unlike other breeds and would do best having same-breed companions.  You just never know when you are going to lose chicks since they can be so delicate at times so more than 2 chicks would be good. 

Something to consider is EEs don't like hot humid climates and do better in cooler weather.  They are very fluffy under-downed birds and in our hot climate haven't done very well.  Because of a very fluffy tush they can get dirty fast and need to have their tush feathers baby shampooed and blow-dried (which they seem to like the blow-dryer part). 

My limited experience is that they are generally sweet hens that seem non-combative and would rather flee than fight a challenger, but they will defend themselves as a last resort if cornered.  They are skittery jumpy kooky spooky alert wary birds but once you hold them they coo and talk with you and let you pet them - the key is to earn their trust like any breed with treats/food. 

Learn the "judge's hold" for picking up laying hens so that you don't put pressure on their reproductive sides. 

EEs are a bit self-willed which makes it hard to train them as they have their own mind of when and if they will do what you want. 

These birds are incredibly sweet and worth putting up with their cautious wary nature - I call them the "sentinels" of the flock because of their hyperactive and alert natures.  When going to roost they often are the last breed to settle down before lockdown.  And if the coop door or egg-box is opened after roosting time they will stand up alert and coo at the disturbance while most of the other breeds just go on sleeping!!! 

EEs don't lay a LOT of eggs after their pullet year but they seem to be rather BIG eggs for a medium fowl.  The egg colors are interesting and each hen lays a different shade.  If your EEs are hatchery chicks the hatcheries do their best to breed blue-green egg layers but don't be surprised at pink, tan, or even white eggs! 

Our local feed store carries many breeds of chickens in the Spring and the hatchery they order chicks from has the cutest fluffy-bearded EE chicks every year!  You can pick the fluffiest-faced EEs that way.  With hatchery chicks by mail sometimes they won't have the fluffy bearded muffs that make them so cute. Whatever color they are as chicks they wind up with totally different-colored feathers/patterns when adults.

These are just some of the things I can think of about EEs but not sure what you want to know about them.  Everyone is going to want to have EE colored eggs once they start laying!!!  Good luck!

Thank you for your detailed description! This exactly fits our two girls!

 

[CluckTwice4Yes]

These girls (I hope!) are about 9 weeks old. No names yet. They're new here and still so timid they run from treats (the other girls will often follow my daughter because she likes to give them cheese).

They are vent-sexed hatchery chicks sold as "araucana," but, the farm I buy from sells them as EEs. There was definitely a big variety in color and feather arrangement.

These two are still feathering out.

 

[cmccullough1390]

 I like the weekly growth idea! I think I'll try that myself. My babies will be one week old this Friday.

It's a lot of fun

 

[Sylvester017]

Offside question here for Sylvester: How do your chickens take to walking around on the expanded metal?

Does it bother them? Do they try and avoid it? Or do they just not care?

This is our first summer trying out the kennel grate wire floor that was an additional option when we ordered the Barn Coop. Our chickens don't spend much time in the coop whether it's winter or summer. Daytime they are out and about foraging the backyard. They only use the coop to lay their eggs or go to roost. When our triple-digit heatwave temps hit we took out the solid floor and put this optional wire floor in - much cooler and more air circulation in our humid SoCal temps - especially at night when all 4 hens are bedded down. Only this Breda uses the perch to roost while the two Silkies sleep in the nests (at the same level as the wire floor).

Silkie in blue nestbox - the feathered feet of the Breda is on the wire floor (upper right-hand of this pic)


The little Black Silkie is in the corner nestbox nearest the pop-door while the Breda is walking around on the wire floor. They have no problem maneuvering around on the kennel wire floor - maybe because the holes are big and the wire very strong and thick that it doesn't slice into their foot-skin like thinner mesh wires?


I'm not 100% satisfied with this Barn Coop but there are just so many things I like about it - including aesthetics and easy cleaning - that I overlook the little things I don't like:




This is the solid floor tray with ladder ramp leading down to the pen below which we finally blocked off because it is too steep for the hens using it from inside the coop. This coop has 5 perches but we have only one hen that uses a perch so we never added the other 4 perches.


The ventilation vents on both sides of the coop are good during winter but not adequate in summer heatwaves - hence, a wire floor was custom-ordered for good summer ventilation. The windows are cute and give us and the chickens a view but they DON'T open! I considered modifying with slider windows but opted for the wire kennel floor as a better option for summer ventilation.

 

[guest21]

My EE chicks are now 4 weeks old. I'm excited to see how their feathering will turn out! All have green legs except for one obvious roo who's legs are bright orange...maybe he's not an EE? I got the eggs from a neighbor.

 

[magicstorm]

Please check out this thread. It isn't about my EEs but my LB. But I need help. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1127292/im-concerned-about-my-18-week-old-pullet#post_17397524

 

[guest21]

Any guesses on this guy? Im assuming its a roo. Only 4 weeks old

 

[junebuggena]

Any guesses on this guy? Im assuming its a roo. Only 4 weeks old

Still too young. Try agian when the chick is fully feathered.

 

[TravelingWillow]

My girls are all grown up and finally laying! Aesa, BR was first @ 21 weeks, then Saga @ almost 22 weeks, then Sigge & Brynja one month later @ 22 1/2 weeks!
Oddly, that was their previously established rank in the pecking order, too. Coincidence? Hmmm.