Hen or Rooster?!?!

[junebuggena]

How can you tell?!?! I thought they were the same breed? I'm obviously new!

Not the same thing at all. The easiest way to tell if you are buying Easter Eggers or Ameraucana is that Ameraucana ALWAYS have a color/variety specified. You can be fairly certain of plumage coloring, size, egg color, and temperament when it comes to Ameraucana. There are no such certainties when it comes to Easter Eggers.

 

[LisaG1982]

Not the same thing at all. The easiest way to tell if you are buying Easter Eggers or Ameraucana is that Ameraucana ALWAYS have a color/variety specified. You can be fairly certain of plumage coloring, size, egg color, and temperament when it comes to Ameraucana. There are no such certainties when it comes to Easter Eggers.

Thank you so much!!!!

 

[Poultrybreeder]

Easter Egger hen. Can I chirp in my input between the two types of chickens?

 

[LisaG1982]

Easter Egger hen. Can I chirp in my input between the two types of chickens?

Absolutely!!!!

 

[Poultrybreeder]

Thanks! Easter Eggers are a hybrid between a chicken that contains a double blue egg gene (such as an Ameraucana, Araucana, and I think Cream Legbar, but don't quote me on that last one) and a light brown egg layer (like a Buff Orpington). Easter Eggers may come in all colors whereas pure Ameraucanas will only have certain colors. You can find these colors and standards here: http://ameraucanaalliance.org/. Ameraucanas will only lay blue eggs, Easter Eggers will lay blue, green, pink, or yellow eggs.

 

[junebuggena]

Thanks! Easter Eggers are a hybrid between a chicken that contains a double blue egg gene (such as an Ameraucana, Araucana, and I think Cream Legbar, but don't quote me on that last one) and a light brown egg layer (like a Buff Orpington). Easter Eggers may come in all colors whereas pure Ameraucanas will only have certain colors. You can find these colors and standards here: http://ameraucanaalliance.org/. Ameraucanas will only lay blue eggs, Easter Eggers will lay blue, green, pink, or yellow eggs.

Actually false. Some Easter Eggers might be Ameraucana, Araucana, or Legbar crosses, but those are few and far between. The vast majority are hatchery sourced, and not mixed breeds at all. Hatchery Easter Eggers just haven't been selectively bred to meet a specific breed standard. They are what the Ameraucana breed was derived from.

 

[Poultrybreeder]

Wow, that's what I have read from everyone else on here, that Easter Eggers are hybrids, and many sites will say that too. Here is one of the sites: http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/03/the-chicken-chronicles-easter-eggers.html
another: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html
finally: http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily...-and-easter-egg-chickens-the-blue-egg-layers/

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Easter Egger, not Ameraucana. And she's lovely pullet just about ready to lay.

x2

 

[nminusyplusm]

There's a lot of misinformation about Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers but junebuggena is 100% correct. Ameraucanas were bred out of EEs. The vast majority of EEs are not "hybrids", they're more like Ameraucanas that don't adhere to the APA standard and don't breed true.

Wow, that's what I have read from everyone else on here, that Easter Eggers are hybrids, and many sites will say that too. Here is one of the sites: http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/03/the-chicken-chronicles-easter-eggers.html
another: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html
finally: http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily...-and-easter-egg-chickens-the-blue-egg-layers/

 

[Akrnaf2]

View attachment 1143204 View attachment 1143204

It seems a pullet to me.