The EE braggers thread!!!

[danab]

This is such a great thread. I am really happy that I got two EE in July. I think they are about 22 weeks old, and they have not given any eggs yet. They have completely different personalities. It is cool to see how many different variations they come in. But I have seen a lot of pics that look just like the two I have.

Bella is the smallest girl out of the 10 chicks I have. But she is always teaching the other girls bad tricks, and she always pics on the bigger, but younger, Jersey Giants.

Her sister Dora is much calmer. She loves it when I scratch her beard while she sits on my lap. She is a pretty big girl.

 

[PaintedGemsRanch]

I just love my EE babies, everytime I open the brooder door they are the first ones to hop up on the ledge and want loved one!

It makes my day... anytime I need to smile I just run out and say Hiiiiii Babies and they all flock the door

 

[that_crazy_lady]

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oh I love having a coop full of colors, what a bunch of cuties

 

[Reinbeau]

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Oooh, she's a beauty! I wouldn't trade her, either.

 

[luvarabhorses]

Silkie time,
I know what you mean about the mutt thing. I belong to two Ark poultry clubs and as you would expect they focus on purebred show birds. How many of us here actually show? I have been focusing on what I consider the perfect chicken and that includes laying colored eggs. I just haven't been able to settle on one breed that I can totally fall in love with. One thing I don't like is escape artists since I have a nice flower and vegetable garden which one loose chicken can scratch into oblivion. I like the cochins since they don't fly well but they don't lay well either. I started crossing the cochins with a special EE hen and the results were cool. In the pics I posted earlier, LisaLynn (aka Mommy Chicken) was one of three identical hens of this cross. Then I added a poofy-do and the extra toes (Angelina). The colored egg gene seems to be dominant because I haven't lost it yet.

Lately I've been playing around with frizzle (Frillia), sizzle (Hellia) and a big red cap type comb (Coral). I will probably get some thinking here that they aren't "EE"s, but they lay colored eggs ( most green, green speckled and some blue)

Also, gorgeous Arab mare (?) in your avatar.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
You have a point there - this is the wikipedia definition:
"Mixed-breed dog, a dog that has characteristics of two or more breeds, a mongrel. Also used as a generally derogatory term towards a dog." --- You're right - definitely does not refer to chickens

I also agree with KatyTheChickenLady - "these birds were all bred specificly for wonderful colors, rainbow eggs and leggs, and outstanding personalities . . ."

********************************************

The Easter Eggers from the hatcheries (sold as araucanas, americanas, etc) are definitely bred for specific traits - Every one of the 35 EEs I've purchased (3 different orders, 2 different hatcheries) have had pea combs & muffs/beards (the ones that are laying, lay colored eggs). I personally don't believe hatchery easter eggers are mixed breeds - they breed EE to EE, not EE to WLH, etc).

I think the term 'easter egger' is too general - the definition 'any chicken that lays a colored egg (except for true ameraucanas & araucanas)' includes easter egger crosses (EE X BR, etc)s and may be why the 'mutt' label has been given to them by some people. Nothing wrong with EE crosses, but they are less likely to have ALL the typical features and since they are also called EEs instead of EE crosses, some people think that EEs can be anything - "ANY type of comb, any color of legs, clean-faced or fluffy, no identifying features except for colored eggs". A different type of comb or a 'clean face' is the exception to the rule, not the norm (they are hatchery birds after all

. When you look at all the beautiful chickens on this thread, you can see that they all have similarites - even if their coloring is different - you can take one look and there is no question as to what type of chicken they are (even without knowing what color eggs they lay).

Well... I guess I just wanted to defend our favorite type of chicken. When I gave my teen daughters the choice of ordering an asst. of 25 chicks from MPC or 25 easter eggers, it was hands down easter eggers - our favorites so far.

 

[PaintedGemsRanch]

Taken from the eastereggers club website, Im so proud to have them!!!!:

Breed General Description and STANDARDS OF PERFECTION

The standards of perfection established below are that of the "Ideal Easter Egger"
Birds that do not meet these "Standards of Perfection" are still considered Easter Eggers, but not of the same high quality.

Weight: Typical large fowl 5-7 pounds
Color: All
Comb Type/Wattles: Pea Comb/ small or non-existant
Beard and Muffs: Full, well-rounded, medium length (These are the norm, however some have been developed without these traits)
Head: Medium size.
Face: Nearly hidden by muffs.
Eyes: Expressive
Beak: Curved.
Ear Lobes: Small..
Neck: Well-arched
Hackel: Full.
Back: Medium length.
Leg Color: Green is typical but other colors include, willow, slate, yellow.

Rooster
Saddle: Medium in length
Tail: Well spread, medium length, carried at 45º above horizontal.
Wings: Fairly large, tips carried above the hock joint.
Breast: Prominent.
Body & Stearn: Body of medium length, stern well-tucked up.

Hen.
Cushion: Moderate.
Tail: Medium length, well spread, carried at 40º angle above horizontal.
Wings: Fairly prominent, carried above the hock joint.
Breast: Full.
Body & Stearn:Full but trim, fluff well-tucked up.

Personality: Generally friendly, Non Agressive

Egg Color: Green, Blue, Green Blue, Olive Green, Sea Green, Tinted (Pink)

STANDARD WEIGHTS for LARGE FOWL
Cock 6½ lbs
Hen 5½ lbs
Cockerel 5½ lbs
Pullet 4½ lbs


STANDARD WEIGHTS for BANTAMS
Cock 30 oz
Hen 26 oz
Cockerel 26 oz
Pullet 24 oz

The EECOA Standard Of Perfection Discounts Any Chicken Which Exhibits

*
Tufts
*
Does Not Exhibit Tail Feathers (Rumpless);
These are considered by EECOA to be rejects from the breeding practices of Aruacana breeders.
*
Any comb other then pea.
The above types are considered a subclass of the Easter Egger breed.
Further, The Following Color Types Are Not Recognized by EECOA:
The following color types are not considered to be Easter Egger's, only as they are defined by the A.P.A. and their classification of the following as a separate breed.
Black
*
Blue
*
Blue Wheaten
*
Brown Red
*
Buff
*
Silver
*
Wheaten
*
White
Birds that exhibit the colors listed above, but do not exhibit the traits associated with the A.P.A. Classified breed Ameraucana and DO exhibit traits associated with the Easter Egg chicken ARE EASTER EGGERS



Edit to add.. I didnt put this up to cause a debate and hope it doesnt, if its a problem with anyone I will delete it, just thought it pertained to the subject on "mutts" and thought it was neat someone actually made an EE club. I love how no matter what the flaw (within limits) its still an "EE" unlike other clubs that disqulify

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

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your Dora looks EXACTLY like a younger version of my Roy (1st post) are you intending on breeding her?

 

[danab]

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your Dora looks EXACTLY like a younger version of my Roy (1st post) are you intending on breeding her?

I wish I could get into breeding, but I am not allowed roosters (shh...I'm not even allowed hens) where I live.

 

[technodoll]

I'm so jealous of all your incredibly gorgeous EE's!! Wow!

Hopefully by springtime I can post some pics of birds who actually look like the breed they're supposed to be instead of ragtag rescues.

In the meantime I love my two EE's more every day, they are both so trusting, calm, sweet, inquisitive and just plain endearing.

They are beautiful to me anyways