EE & Ameraucana Egg Colors

[Katydid2011]

I'm new to Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers and purchased my first Ameraucana pullet and Easter Egger pullet early this year. Today, I got my first egg from the EE, and it's not blue-green or green but white-speckled brown! I was obviously mistaken in my belief that EEs always lay blue-green, green or greenish eggs! I also have three 5-week old EEs in the brooder and now I'm wondering what the color spectrum is for EEs. I'm also wondering what I should expect from my Ameraucana when she lays. I purchased her from a local breeder and have been anticipating blue eggs.

 

[wingsofglory]

Color varies greatly for Easter Eggers.

Seven years ago I had Easter Eggers that laid extra-large eggs of all different rich shades of turquoise blue green eggs. Beautiful eggs. I loved the variety. I do not know what hatchery they are from.

I moved states and got Easter Eggers again, from Ideal Hatchery this time, two years ago. Their eggs were a true pale blue, no green, but so pale almost white. I was disappointed - so much more boring than the varied rich darker and brighter shades of blue-green. But having read all the demands on here six years about how people wanted true blue eggs, not turquoise, from Ameraucanas, I see how the hatcheries must have responded to that and bred for no shades of green or blue-green - which didn't really matter anyway as they are not real Ameraucanas. And lost a lot of size to the egg in the process, resulting in medium to large size eggs from the birds I had. I think they "make" their EE by crossing 'canas with white egg layers to get pale blue, instead of with brown egg layers which gets turquoise. I like the new Olive Eggers - stunning egg colors!!

Some hatcheries advertise their EE eggs as different shades of blue, green, pink, brown, and yellow.

Also. A hen's first egg sometimes does not look like what she will be laying for the rest of her life.

Statistically, your other hens will lay colored eggs.

 

[Meara]

Since EEs are mixed breeds they can lay any color egg. It depends on each bird's particular ancestry. Most will lay a greenish egg, but certainly not all. I have one that lays a pure white egg and another that lays a pinkish brown egg. A pure Ameraucana will lay a "blue" egg, although the exact shade of blue can vary.

 

[Katydid2011]

@wingsofglory - That helps a lot. I actually like the white-speckled brown egg but it's not at all what I was expecting, and I really would like to see some shades of blue and/or green from my other girls when the time comes. I'm looking for variety, not any particular shade. I look forward to seeing what the other girls will lay, and maybe Ophelia's eggs will change color over time. This first egg was large and lovely - again, not what I expected.

@Meara - I had no idea white was even an option! It's going to be a bit like Christmas, seeing what's inside each package. Fun!