Easter Egger laying a brown egg? Why?

[sassysarah]

EEs are mutts, and while they usually have a pea comb, they don't always. If you want to double check the breed, you could make another thread and tag me

Oh okay! Sorry, I haven't had chickens for awhile so don't remember too much. Next time I wont comment lol.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Oh okay! Sorry, I haven't had chickens for awhile so don't remember too much. Next I wont comment lol.

It’s ok! You can always ask questions here

 

[black_cat]

Oh okay! Sorry, I haven't had chickens for awhile so don't remember too much. Next time I wont comment lol.

No, you're fine!! You helped out the thread by saying that your EE laid brown, and asked a question about her being pure, at which point CHlCKEN and I corrected you that no EEs are pure. A helpful interaction for everyone involved, so no need to worry about it!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

When they lay brown it's because there's no more blue egg gene in the line making it a barnyard mix more then an ee

 

[CHlCKEN]

When they lay brown it's because there's no more blue egg gene in the line making it a barnyard mix more then an ee

Happens a lot with hatcheries/feed store chickens.

 

[sassysarah]

No, you're fine!! You helped out the thread by saying that your EE laid brown, and asked a question about her being pure, at which point CHlCKEN and I corrected you that no EEs are pure. A helpful interaction for everyone involved, so no need to worry about it!

Aww, thank you!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Happens a lot with hatcheries/feed store chickens.

Thats because people still buy them thinking they will pay a colored egg

 

[CHlCKEN]

Thats because people still buy them thinking they will pay a colored egg

Yep. And usually they’re sold as “Americanas”

 

[Ridgerunner]

My fuzzy-faced “easter egger” Just laid her first egg - and it was brown! I could’ve sworn she was hatched from a blue egg. Does this happen sometimes with mixes?

Yep, all the time.

Easter Eggers are not a breed, there is no breed standard. There is not even a universally accepted definition of Easter Egger. I could come up with a definition, but then someone else would come up with a different definition. They would be as correct as I would. There is no clear definition.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about colored egg layers. To me this history of colored egg layers is fascinating and it clears up some misconceptions about them. As you can see the original colored egg layers were from Chile and were rumpless and single combed. No pea combs. The Araucana and Ameraucana were developed from them. A lot of people think it was the other way around, that EE's were developed from Ameraucana. That is clearly wrong. Some hatcheries had their flocks of blue and green egg laying chickens before the Ameraucana breed was even developed nd recognized by the American Poultry Association. All kinds of confusion about them.

Ameraucana Breeders Club Breed History

It sounds like you hatched your own, they are not from a hatchery. I don't know what egg shell color genetics the father has. The answer to your question is genetics. There is one gene pair that determines the base color of an egg shell. It is either going to be white or blue. Green or brown is just brown added to that base color.

The blue gene is dominant so if just one gene is blue the hen will lay a base blue egg. That's what is going on with yours. When the egg is formed the hen contributes one of the genes at that gene pair in the future chick. That is random, sometimes a blue, sometimes a not-blue, which defaults to white. Obviously the rooster did not contribute a blue gene either. So you got a base white egg with brown on it.

Since that gene is passed down randomly, about half her offspring will get the blue gene. You never know which chick gets which gene but if you hatch out a few more pullets from her and that rooster you will get some pullets that lay green eggs. I don't know how many you'd have to hatch and raise to laying age to get a green egg, that's odds and probabilities. I've had some really great luck with that but some really bad luck too.

 

[Lori J]

Yep, all the time.

Easter Eggers are not a breed, there is no breed standard. There is not even a universally accepted definition of Easter Egger. I could come up with a definition, but then someone else would come up with a different definition. They would be as correct as I would. There is no clear definition.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about colored egg layers. To me this history of colored egg layers is fascinating and it clears up some misconceptions about them. As you can see the original colored egg layers were from Chile and were rumpless and single combed. No pea combs. The Araucana and Ameraucana were developed from them. A lot of people think it was the other way around, that EE's were developed from Ameraucana. That is clearly wrong. Some hatcheries had their flocks of blue and green egg laying chickens before the Ameraucana breed was even developed nd recognized by the American Poultry Association. All kinds of confusion about them.

Ameraucana Breeders Club Breed History

It sounds like you hatched your own, they are not from a hatchery. I don't know what egg shell color genetics the father has. The answer to your question is genetics. There is one gene pair that determines the base color of an egg shell. It is either going to be white or blue. Green or brown is just brown added to that base color.

The blue gene is dominant so if just one gene is blue the hen will lay a base blue egg. That's what is going on with yours. When the egg is formed the hen contributes one of the genes at that gene pair in the future chick. That is random, sometimes a blue, sometimes a not-blue, which defaults to white. Obviously the rooster did not contribute a blue gene either. So you got a base white egg with brown on it.

Since that gene is passed down randomly, about half her offspring will get the blue gene. You never know which chick gets which gene but if you hatch out a few more pullets from her and that rooster you will get some pullets that lay green eggs. I don't know how many you'd have to hatch and raise to laying age to get a green egg, that's odds and probabilities. I've had some really great luck with that but some really bad luck too.

That was a lot of information, thank you! Yes I was aware that EEs are a mix, I just didn’t realize that a blue egg could hatch a hen that lays brown. I am just glad she’s laying and also glad to know the “why”about the color!