Easter egger what are they?

[7263255]

Hey all ! We have been raising a mixed flock for about a year now and I still don't know what makes an Easter egger. I assume somewhere in there is Americana, but how is this type created ? What crosses with what and what happens if you breed a favorite EE what roo do I need to keep the look and the blue egg trait?

 

[Michael OShay]

Easter Eggers are hybrids produced by crossing blue egg layers Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Cream Legbars, or blue egg laying EEs) with brown egg layers to produce offspring that lay eggs in colors other than just blue (olive, green, beige, and even pale pink). There is a good article at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html explaining the differences between Araucanas, Ameraucanas, and Easter Eggers. Your best hope of getting blue egg laying offspring would be to cross your favorite blue egg laying EE with another EE. At least in this case both birds will carry a blue egg gene. Depending on which egg color genes (blue or brown) the rooster passes to the offspring, the offspring could lay either blue or green eggs. If you breed your blue egg laying EE to a rooster from a brown egg laying breed, the offspring will not lay blue eggs, just green eggs.