The EE braggers thread!!!

[dekel18042]

Does anyone make thier own EEs from scratch? What breeds have you used? I am interested in putting an Ameracana roo over a mixed flock sometime. The result should be (almost?) all EEs, right? I'd especially think that could be cool because if you matched them up with breeds that are good winter layers, like sussex, favorelle, brahma, etc. you could probably correct one of the biggest issues people have with EEs (taking a really long break in the winter). Plus you could choose really tame breeds to get super nice personalities.

I've done something similar. I've wound up with a lot of hens that lay olive eggs I have also purchased EE's. They and my California Greys are my best winter layers. Infact my best layers.
The ones I've "made", I had some I threw in Jersey Giants for size for a dual purpose EE and also pink eggs. The Delaware gave me beautiful white dove like EE's (That reached POL very early), but since I free range I did give most of my white birds away, but they were excellent layers of large blue eggs.
I do have an Ameraucana rooster from lines that lay very blue eggs and this year's project is I'm trying for production EE's. Hopefully I'll know this fall how this project turned out.
EE's are my favorite and I love making more. So far my only problem is that when I hatch eggs, they're very heavy on the boys. I'm lucky to get 2 or 3 girls from 6-10 eggs. This spring I got one girl from 7 eggs that hatched.

 

[FlyWheel]

Where did you get her? Were her legs yellow as a chick? Near as my unprofessional eye can tell, a BA and a BJG look REALLY similar other than the color of their legs. Since BJGs have yellow skin, they have yellow legs. BAs have white skin, so grey/slate legs. Black vs grey can be difficult to tell without one of each to compare. I would check the foot bottoms. If they are pinkish or light grey, BA for sure. A really good SOP BJG will be huge compared to a BA but we are talking about hatchery birds intended for better laying here, not show quality SOP breeder birds so some "variance" can be expected.

It is like the EE vs Ameraucana "debate". I don't really care that my Ideal EE isn't an Ameraucana, I'm not showing or breeding. I would, as stated, like them to admit they are NOT selling Ameraucana. Similarly, though the nice lady at Meyer said their breeders said no BJG's have been crossed into their BA's, I am having a hard time believing it. But since they are not huge (therefore potential feed suckers), are laying well and for the most part look like BAs, I'm not all wound up about it. Thus I refer to them as "non standard" BAs.

I got her at a sorta-kinda-local feed store, and they say they get all their chicks from Mt. Healthy. Her legs as a chick were yellow with black splotches which slowly took over the yellow as she grew. Now they are a glossy coal black in front and a less glossy charcoal grey in back. She is the most people friendly of my April chicks, so she won't mind much if I check the bottoms when I go to collect their eggs and top off their feed bins, thanks.

I could care less if she is in any way 'pure' either, I was buying Easter Eggers, remember? So show quality was nowhere near my mind. I'm just curious as to what she IS. They were selling BAs as well, I forget if Jerseys were also on that list. I am assuming that a previous customer misplaced her into the EE bin while choosing their own chicks. She is only 23 weeks old, so I'm not sure if she is even full size yet.

She laid her first egg yesterday, BTW, it was a medium brown.

Her's is the one on the left.

 

[FlyWheel]

As I understand it an Easter Egger is any chicken that:

1. Possesses the 'Blue Egg Gene",and
2. Does not follow the requisites of a 'pure' or recognized breed.

So yeah, breeding a real Ameraucana (as opposed to one that is just called Ameraucana by the hatchery selling it) will give you Easter Eggers. You could also use an Araucana or Legbar.

The way I understand it*, breeding it with a white egg layer will give you layers of various shades from white to blue, and a brown egg mate will result in mostly shades of green layers. A dark brown/blue egg mix should result in an "Olive Egger" (lays dark green eggs).




*Since most of my knowledge comes from reading posts here at BYC, take it with the recommended amount of salt.

 

[duluthralphie]

As I understand it an Easter Egger is any chicken that:

1. Possesses the 'Blue Egg Gene",and
2. Does not follow the requisites of a 'pure' or recognized breed.

So yeah, breeding a real Ameraucana (as opposed to one that is just called Ameraucana by the hatchery selling it) will give you Easter Eggers. You could also use an Araucana or Legbar.

The way I understand it*, breeding it with a white egg layer will give you layers of various shades from white to blue, and a brown egg mate will result in mostly shades of green layers. A dark brown/blue egg mix should result in an "Olive Egger" (lays dark green eggs).




*Since most of my knowledge comes from reading posts here at BYC, take it with the recommended amount of salt.

I have no idea about what is "officially' an easter egger, I kind of agree with you on that.

I breed my PC rooster (brown eggs) to two blue egged birds this spring, I have the largest prettiest olive green eggs I have ever seen from the chicks, that have just started laying. They are not the bright green of some of my EE, but I think breeding these back to a blue egger should get me a more green color.

Here is a dozen of my pullet eggs, (all colors)



The sad part is the IPhone does not get the true colors very well.

 

[Selsley]

I have no idea about what is "officially' an easter egger, I kind of agree with you on that.

I breed my PC rooster (brown eggs) to two blue egged birds this spring, I have the largest prettiest olive green eggs I have ever seen from the chicks, that have just started laying. They are not the bright green of some of my EE, but I think breeding these back to a blue egger should get me a more green color.

Here is a dozen of my pullet eggs, (all colors)



The sad part is the IPhone does not get the true colors very well.

4th top and left 3 look as blue as araucana eggs and the rest a nice green, was the roo from a chocolate brown line?

since, it is said, that easter eggers lay a multi colour of eggs including pink and brown, i would have to disagree
i would say if you want to produce a bearded EE you would need an araucana, americana or legbar.......... this statement can also be taken with a pinch of salt!

 

[FlyWheel]

IPhone shortcomings notwithstanding, that's a pretty technicolor carton.

Are Legbars bearded/muffed as well? I'm not familiar with the breed other than they are blue egg layers.

 

[Selsley]

IPhone shortcomings notwithstanding, that's a pretty technicolor carton.

Are Legbars bearded/muffed as well? I'm not familiar with the breed other than they are blue egg layers.

cream legbars do, they were bred from gold legbar (brown layer) x araucana, the gold legbar is virtually unseen in the UK, they again were a cross breed of the crembar which is now thought extinct in the UK due to its lack of popularity, it too was a cross, i dont think the cream legbar has a beard, but it developed a small crest after being crossed with the araucana. if you read poltrey.com theres a nice bit of history on the cream legbars developement..... which in fact could enable you to start your own legbar line

somewhere in the top 5 go ogle results

 

[Catandherchicks]

I have no idea about what is "officially' an easter egger, I kind of agree with you on that. I breed my PC rooster (brown eggs) to two blue egged birds this spring, I have the largest prettiest olive green eggs I have ever seen from the chicks, that have just started laying. They are not the bright green of some of my EE, but I think breeding these back to a blue egger should get me a more green color. Here is a dozen of my pullet eggs, (all colors) The sad part is the IPhone does not get the true colors very well.

Lovely!!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Thanks,

The birds that lay the green eggs from my mix do not look at all like a typical EE. To me EE are a mutt and I really breed for egg color and not looks. I will show you a picture of one of the hens. It looks more like a dark PC than a typical EE.

I have some gold in my CLB, however, I do not breed many of them, they have to be perfect in every other way (to me) I have some fairly large crests on the CLB hens, but I have to make sure they do not get too large to block vision. Like all breeding it is a delicate balancing act. I am actually working more to the white sports and may dump my entire flock of CLB's next year. I like the look of a white sport CLB and a white bird with a bright blue egg is so cool. I breed for what I want and I want a flock of white sports, I have 14 right now.



Above is one of my olive green egg layers. A huge bird and large enough for a dandy meal too..


The one above here is one of my Sport roosters, His tail is too upright to breed, he will just go into the back up pen or freezer.

Below is a little pullet, quite young white sport ( behind the polish). They are fine birds I do not have a picture on here of an older one.



I know they are not typical EE, but they fit the definition of not being another breed and laying colored eggs,

 

[Selsley]

Thanks,

The birds that lay the green eggs from my mix do not look at all like a typical EE. To me EE are a mutt and I really breed for egg color and not looks. I will show you a picture of one of the hens. It looks more like a dark PC than a typical EE.

I have some gold in my CLB, however, I do not breed many of them, they have to be perfect in every other way (to me) I have some fairly large crests on the CLB hens, but I have to make sure they do not get too large to block vision. Like all breeding it is a delicate balancing act. I am actually working more to the white sports and may dump my entire flock of CLB's next year. I like the look of a white sport CLB and a white bird with a bright blue egg is so cool. I breed for what I want and I want a flock of white sports, I have 14 right now.



Above is one of my olive green egg layers. A huge bird and large enough for a dandy meal too..


The one above here is one of my Sport roosters, His tail is too upright to breed, he will just go into the back up pen or freezer.

Below is a little pullet, quite young white sport ( behind the polish). They are fine birds I do not have a picture on here of an older one.



I know they are not typical EE, but they fit the definition of not being another breed and laying colored eggs,

wonder what a white orpington cross would look like crossed with a blue gene rooster, our buff came out white