Easter Egger thread!

[Bonniebooboo]

Yay, an EE thread!

I bought 4 "Ameracauna pullets" at a local farm supply back in March (I was aware they were actually EE's, but couldn't seem to make the employees there understand the difference). 2 of them turned out to be cockerels. :/ One I sold, and the other I've kept because he's special and I doubt anyone else would want him. Too scraggly to be dinner, and too deformed to browse and peck with the rest of the flock. I have to hand feed him every day, but I love him. <3 This is Holly:View attachment 1091218

My favorite EE, Helga: View attachment 1091219

And the notoriously hard to photograph, Hepzibah: View attachment 1091220

They haven't laid their first eggs yet, but I can't wait! I'm really hoping for shades of green.

I noticed a lot of other people posting pictures in a few groups I'm in of cockerels that look like Holly and pullets that look like Helga. Is there a particular set of birds the hatcheries tend to use to create these EE's they sell as "Americanas"?[/QUOTE
Holly has some very pretty feathers. Helga is a beautiful little pullet, Hepzibah is colored a lot like my pullets and they are mixes. Their dam is blue/gold EE and sire is a Buff orpington speckled Sussex cross. With all the background breeds mixed in there, you never know what beautiful colors you will get or even what the back ground breeds may be. always interesting...

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

There does seem to be some variance in longevity of different breeds, I am wondering if size of the bird plays a role in much the same way it does with dogs or if other factors are involved. Some small breeds seem pretty long lived, while also game fowl hens usually live long too...

Even if laying in old age that does not mean eggs are viable, I know one guy on BYC got a hen and she was super old and laying he was trying to get a viable egg, don't know if he did, but the hen was foundation stock from Cuba and it was worth trying for his breeding program.

In my poking about egg size plays a role in hatch rates too.