The EE braggers thread!!!

[Kassaundra]

Happy Wednesday all! I very much need to get some updated pictures of Pearl and Opal, but for now, I am happy to announce that they have both started to lay. Both lay a blue green egg. Pearl laid her first today

She is my favorite girl...super lovey and cuddly. Both EE are so much more friendly than than any of our other birds.

With this said, my DH and I are considering starting a breeding program. Since we love the EE's so much, we are considering Ameracauna's as a breed. Does anyone know how the Ameracauna temperament compares to that of EE's?

Finally, a picture of Opal's first egg (pretty sure it is hers), next to my Blue Andalusian's egg:

I have never had ameracuanas so I can't speak as to temperment, but would suspect it to be similar. But what is it that you like about EE, if it is the egg color then that may be a good choice, but if it is feather color/pattern diversity you will not get that w/ the ameraucana, they are one of a couple of solid colors.

 

[Flowerbh]

My girls were hatched in Sept and molted the following fall, so right at 1 year old. This years chickens that were hatched out and less than 1 year old, but old enough to be laying (and not EE, they are NN) are not molting. It does sound unusual to me that she would molt the first time that young.

Just got thru reading some of the molting threads and it seems that although most chickens molt after 1 year, it is common enough for them to molt as early as 7 months to not be that unusual. Sometimes environmental issues can cause early molts. Just had 2 chicks killed by hawks. Maybe that triggered it???? Who knows.

 

[Kassaundra]

Just got thru reading some of the molting threads and it seems that although most chickens molt after 1 year, it is common enough for them to molt as early as 7 months to not be that unusual. Sometimes environmental issues can cause early molts. Just had 2 chicks killed by hawks. Maybe that triggered it???? Who knows.

That is good to know, that there is nothing wrong, especially w/ your recent losses.

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

I lost 3 to an unknown predator 2 months ago, a few weeks later my EE's went into a molt at 7 months old. I thought that was awfully early, my first flock didn't do that until their second winter.

 

[chicken pickin]

Hey Kassaundra, how old are chickens when they have their first molt? I have one that is only 9 months old and she is already losing all her feathers. Is that unusal, usual or should I look for another reason she is losing her feathers? She is a RIR.

I was wondering that also. My chickens are 9 months old also. And 2 look like they are molting. They are both SLW. They lost their tail feathers neck feathers and some head feathers. Their are tons of feathers in the run and in the coop

. Do you have a pic of your RIR so I can compare?

 

[Flowerbh]

I was wondering that also. My chickens are 9 months old also. And 2 look like they are molting. They are both SLW. They lost their tail feathers neck feathers and some head feathers. Their are tons of feathers in the run and in the coop

. Do you have a pic of your RIR so I can compare?

Look at this thread in BYC....https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/580915/for-the-new-folks-that-havent-experienced-a-molt-yet/0_50 Shows great photos of molting chickens.

 

[bcmama]

Since my EE haven't started laying yet I was wondering if anyone has an all white EE and what color eggs you are getting from her? I know they can range from blue to green but would their be a color that a white EE might lay?

 

[Lilwanis]

I have never had ameracuanas so I can't speak as to temperment, but would suspect it to be similar.  But what is it that you like about EE, if it is the egg color then that may be a good choice, but if it is feather color/pattern diversity you will not get that w/ the ameraucana, they are one of a couple of solid colors.

We have been thinking about breeding 1-3 different breeds of chickens. Part of it is as education for the kids. Part of it would be for my enjoyment. I want to breed toward an SOP (have a clearly defined goal). Ameracauna may give me the chance to do this ...and...I can create my own EE at some point down the road with a known blue egg gene. In Salt Lake, we can have pretty severe winters, so the beard and muffs as well as the pea comb make sense here. I have been eyeing the silver ameracauna, wheatens, or maybe blues...perhaps lavenders but they are not a recognized color variety at this point (might be fun for that reason).

Really this is at very early planning and day dreaming phase right now. Some day, I would like to find a way to quit my job and live off the grid a bit more; be more self sufficient; work outside and live off the land. I have a bit of a learning curve though. Right now, I work in the financial industry, about as far removed from what I want to be as you can get.

Sorry for going off on a tangent, having chickens has really reminded me of my childhood dreams, and how far removed I am from them. I feel that with baby steps, perhaps I can retire early to a life of hard physical labor

 

[Kassaundra]

Since my EE haven't started laying yet I was wondering if anyone has an all white EE and what color eggs you are getting from her? I know they can range from blue to green but would their be a color that a white EE might lay?

I have 2 Yeta the wonder chicken, and Yeti, both lay green eggs.


Here is Yeta, yeti looks just like her only a smaller comb.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

We have been thinking about breeding 1-3 different breeds of chickens. Part of it is as education for the kids. Part of it would be for my enjoyment. I want to breed toward an SOP (have a clearly defined goal). Ameracauna may give me the chance to do this ...and...I can create my own EE at some point down the road with a known blue egg gene. In Salt Lake, we can have pretty severe winters, so the beard and muffs as well as the pea comb make sense here. I have been eyeing the silver ameracauna, wheatens, or maybe blues...perhaps lavenders but they are not a recognized color variety at this point (might be fun for that reason).
Really this is at very early planning and day dreaming phase right now. Some day, I would like to find a way to quit my job and live off the grid a bit more; be more self sufficient; work outside and live off the land. I have a bit of a learning curve though. Right now, I work in the financial industry, about as far removed from what I want to be as you can get.
Sorry for going off on a tangent, having chickens has really reminded me of my childhood dreams, and how far removed I am from them. I feel that with baby steps, perhaps I can retire early to a life of hard physical labor

The Ameraucana temperaments will vary with the variety, so check into it more with a breeder to help make your decision. I have two Am pullets, one wheaten and one wheaten x buff (so technically an EE). As the breeder described, the wheaten is smaller and flightier than the buff, who is calmer and larger bodied. They have not started laying yet, but it is my understanding not to expect as many eggs as I get from my hatchery EE (she lays 6 per week). We'll see. Soon, I hope!

This is the buff x. She has a tiny bit of partridge on a few feathers, so is EE
Her half sister, the skittery wheaten, is keeping her distance. See her there?

She is a similar size to the older BA in back.