Easter eggers

[Kasilofchrisn]

The white one is my EE hen named Blondie and the multicolored one is my EE rooster named Cogburn.
She just started laying a month ago.
I love the colored eggs.
Ordered 8 hens total but one of my hens turned out to be a rooster.

 

[RRLaney]

You want information on EE’s? Read this.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/361185/easter-egger-club

Where did you get yours? If a hatchery, which one? Different hatcheries have different EE flocks that have different tendencies. If you can find someone that got EE’s from that same flock they might be able to give you some flock tendencies. If they came from a hatchery, they are almost certainly EE’s and not Ameraucana. Some hatcheries had the start of their colored egg laying flock before Ameraucana were even a recognized breed. There is a lot of history in colored egg layers and a lot of misinformation.

EE’s are not a breed. You cannot show an EE as an EE because there is no breed standard. That makes it hard to even define what an EE really is. Some people think they have to have the blue egg gene to be an EE but others think they just have to have that gene somewhere in their ancestry. Some hatchery EE’s will lay pink, brown, or white eggs instead of blue of green.

You can make an EE to look like anything. I know someone that has developed colored egg laying Naked Necks. In a few generations of breeding you could have Silkies laying colored eggs. I made mine to be full-sized black speckled and red speckled colored egg layers that often go broody. I’m sorry but just saying EE tells me nothing about appearance, what colored egg an EE will lay, cold-hardiness, foraging ability, personality, or anything else. While there is no universally agreed definition of what an EE is, they are almost always a mixed breed chicken. What they are mixed with has some effect what traits and tendencies they may have, but which traits the breeder is breeding for has an even bigger effect.

Don’t even start to think that 20 degrees Fahrenheit is even starting to get close to cold for chickens that have feathered out. With their down coat they are just starting to get comfortable. They won’t like a strong wind hitting them when it’s down below freezing, but your hot summers are your concern, not your pleasant winters. As long as you provide good ventilation, plenty of water, and shade, most chickens can handle your high temperatures fine. But the heat is where your danger comes from, not the cold.

I strongly suggest you look thorough that thread. Don’t be afraid to post on it either and ask any questions you have. There are some very knowledgeable people active on that thread and most are very nice people.

These are old photos but for fun I’ll show you some I used to have.

Oh man that's very helpful thank you!
They came from a farm supply store in Georgetown, Texas. We have a breeder we normally go to but we stumbled on these ones while picking up food for the rest of our flock and couldn't resist.
I was just worried about the babies in the winter, but now that I know they'll be okay I'm excited to move them outside in a couple weeks here
Our other chickens did well this summer, we have lots of shade and water and have plenty of coop ventilation. I was prepared for heat being an issue when we first got chickens, but I'm a rookie with winter hens.
Thanks again.

 

[RRLaney]

I love Easter Eggers! They lay wonderful colored eggs and are very personable! You wondered if they are timid because you're putting them in with other, older chickens. With all the EE's we've had they have never been timid. Ours actually took over the flock and are now highest in the pecking order. And @Ridgerunner gave you the link to the Easter Egger Club. It's a place full of knowledge and friendly people. Don't be afraid to post there, whether it be questions or just posting pics of your babies. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your EE's!

Thank you! I was mostly wondering cause we got a young faverolle a few months back and she is SO timid. It was a rough transition for her. She hid under the coop most of the day and she never ate cause she was afraid of getting pecked. She's finally adjusted and now she's is a perfect chicken but I was hoping not to have to go through that again.

 

[donrae]

Rachel, my first colored egg layers were really Ameraucana and were fairly small. Decent sized blue eggs though and a lot of them. The lady I got them from was using them for egg production and sold at a farmer’s market.

But I’ve mixed in Speckled Sussex, Black Australorp, and Buff Rock to get the size up, plus using size as a criterion in selecting which roosters to keep. I raise mine for meat production more than anything else though I do like playing with colors and patterns. It just depends on what traits the person breeding them breeds for.

You might be interested, that white one on the left looked a lot like the black speckled on the right until her first adult molt at about 18 months. She came back almost white but with black specks. I think that is the Exchequer pattern. I’ve never had one change that dramatically after an adult molt before.

My true Ameraucana (roosters only) have been pretty small, and my offspring aren't too huge as I'm crossing more for egg production, not meat. But just cause you raise them for meat, doesn't mean you can't have fun, and have pretty birds. You've still got to look at them every day, they might as well be pleasing to you

.

I'm looking at your pics, thinking....I bought a speckled Sussex pullet just last month, cause my Honey likes the color. I've played a lot with the barring, but maybe speckled would be more the way to go, they're so eye catching and pretty. Like I need another breeding project....

 

[Ridgerunner]

I know we’re hijacking the thread a bit so I apologize, but I’ll do it anyway. The mottling gene is recessive, not dominant like the barring gene. It takes a couple more generations and it has to match up for it to show. You kind of have to be committed to the mottling to carry through.

I haven’t done it but one of the genetics gurus said if you get mottling to pair up and barring both in the same chicken you can get some strange things. I don’t like barring myself but it’s tempting just to see what happens.

 

[donrae]

I knew about the recessive---I was so disappointed to learn that a few years ago when I got some speckled sussex to add to my mixed breed flock. And I really, really don't need another rooster......sigh. I'll just look at your pics instead

 

[MILOCHICKEN]

I like my EEs. I am 11 and they never bit or heart me. When I was in 4th grade We got 3 of them, they were our first chicks. 1 died, but that was because my dog killed it

. good cold hardy breed

 

[Flock Master64]

I have an Olive Egger wich I think is a type of EE. She's very nice but still a little shy around me. I integrated her and 2 others in with my 4 hens in August and she doesn't get bullied by the older hens like my brahma. She started laying Monday and has layed every day this week. She's a very good chicken and I'm happy with how she turned out.