Easter egger questions

[Chickensarecool123]

hi im thinking about getting Easter Egger chicks, my one pullet died so im thinking of adding some more chicks to the flock, i think blue/green colored eggs would be cool (if they make it to that) im not as much concerned if they lay tan eggs, i wont disown them if they lay tan don’t worry lol, i wanted to know can you tell what color they (the pullet) will be from when their a chick? Like i dont want a black Easter Egger, looks too much like an Australorp and its too hot here, im fine with the normal Easter Egger colors, i cant find colors of an Easter Egger though im not sure if Easter eggers come in light colors like buff or white etc, but my main question is can you tell as a chick? Also do you guys know if theres a shop in the Houston area that sells ameraucana’s? I originally wanted them but i cant seem to find them anywhere for a decent price.

Thanks in advance~

 

[azygous]

EE chicks are usually brown chipmunk striped. They usually grow up to look like old brown shoes. (My TSC manager came up with that description.) But their eggs can be anywhere from true blue, turquoise, to olive green. Occasionally you could get one that lays brown eggs, but I've never had one.

 

[Altairsky]

Easter eggers are mutts, so chicks can be any color and have any comb type, with or without rump. This, for example, is my latest batch:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ferragosto-adopt-an-egg-hatch-a-long.1672568/page-6
They're gonna be buff, salmon and duckwing, or even something else, who knows with mutts.
It all depends if the breeder is breeding for fanciness or for money. Generally hatcheries breeds for money so they don't really care about providing a pleasant color and shape variety.

 

[Chickensarecool123]

EE chicks are usually brown chipmunk striped. They usually grow up to look like old brown shoes. (My TSC manager came up with that description.) But their eggs can be anywhere from true blue, turquoise, to olive green. Occasionally you could get one that lays brown eggs, but I've never had one.

Ah thanks, i was wondering if you can identify a white/buff one as a chick and what would they look like?

 

[Chickensarecool123]

Easter eggers are mutts, so chicks can be any color and have any comb type, with or without rump. This, for example, is my latest batch:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ferragosto-adopt-an-egg-hatch-a-long.1672568/page-6
They're gonna be buff, salmon and duckwing, or even something else, who knows with mutts.
It all depends if the breeder is breeding for fanciness or for money. Generally hatcheries breeds for money so they don't really care about providing a pleasant color and shape variety.

Ah i really want a buff color for my Easter Egger lol, do you know if like regular stores sell buff EE’s? Or just the chipmunk color?

 

[citymeetscountry]

Here’s our 3 EEs in April 2023 and then July 2023. They all lay greenish eggs (every once in a while one will be more blue).

 

[coach723]

I had a golden/buff colored one once, she was a white/pale yellow chick (second picture below). Most of mine have been what is usually called 'wild' coloring, which is the brownish. First picture below is three of my EE's with a speckled sussex, various shades of brown or wild color.
Most chicks will look like the brown chipmunky chick in the previous post. My eggs have all been blue or green/blue. Some of their chicks I have hatched here have laid darker olive eggs or brown eggs depending on what they were mixed with.
Meyer and Cackle hatcheries both sell EE chicks, if shipping is something you are willing to do. Some feed stores will get them in sometimes and they can be listed as various things, usually Americana, and they are mutts. The only way to get a true Ameraucana (which is the correct spelling for the recognized breed) is from a reputable breeder, and they come in specific, approved colors. If you go to the gallery at the link below, there are pictures of the approved colors and pictures of chicks. More on those here:
http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/

 

[AinaWGSD]

If you pick chicks that are a lighter color/mostly yellow as a newly hatched chick you're more likely to get lighter colored adult plumage. Black, or mostly black, birds are going to be black or black and white "penguin" colored as chicks.

These are some of my lighter colored chicks at 1 day old and what they matured to.

And two of the darker chicks.

 

[azygous]

I've only ever had EE chicks from a hatchery. (Privett in New Mexico) To get the kind of variety pictured above, I think you'd need to go through a private breeder or be a breeder yourself.

I always have wanted a splash EE and tried to select chicks from the feed store offering that were lightest in color, but only managed to get EEs that ended up looking like slightly lighter old brown shoes.

 

[Ridgerunner]

hi im thinking about getting Easter Egger chicks,

Why? What are your goals? Is it the blue or green eggs? How many chickens do you want? Do you want only pullets or would you be happy if some or most are males? There may be other easier options.

i wanted to know can you tell what color they (the pullet) will be from when their a chick?

For the most part. You can never say never but generally if the down does not have black then the adult plumage will not be black. If you have the choice get chicks with white, yellow, red, brown, or buff down. If you know both parents and neither one is either solid white or solid black you are almost assured of not getting a black chick.

Also do you guys know if theres a shop in the Houston area that sells ameraucana’s?

You never know what breeds or chicks a feed store will have unless you talk to them. They may have Ameraucanas one week and not have them again the rest of the season. For many people this is a roadblock. They are not willing to actually talk to people to get what they say they want.

I originally wanted them but i cant seem to find them anywhere for a decent price.

Here may be a big problem. Chicks are not that cheap from a hatchery or a feed store. If the cost is too much then feed stores are a dead end.

This does not mean there is not a solution for you. If we know what you are looking for and why you want them we may be able to help.

As mentioned above EE's are not a breed. There are no breed standards. They can be any color or pattern, have any type of comb, any color of legs, any color of earlobes, be any size, there is just no way to limit them. Ameraucana and Araucana are breeds, you can get them in specific colors/patterns. But may hatcheries and feed stores sell EE's labeled as a breed. They are not, you don't know what you are getting.

So let us know why you want them, what are you actually looking for. If you can do that we may be able to help you find what you want. Otherwise, good luck!