Thanks, Misty. I actually think she's the homiest of the EEs. My favorites were always Agatha and Gladys, but despite having no beard I'm becoming more and more partial to Pearl. She has the strangest pattern. It looks like half of her is in shadow...so hard to describe, but there's a distinct line of demarcation on her back.Those leghorns have some massive combs, don't they? I ended up with NINE packing peanut leghorns in my last order. Ten weeks old tomorrow, one is crowing. It was pretty clear which one is was, too. The reddest biggest comb and waddles out there. Pretty impressive, to be honest. If I were in the market for another rooster, I just might want to keep him. But, nah, all twelve are destined for freezer camp.
Daphne is beautiful, Blooie!
Ooo I like it!! I like something a little different. I have 5 grown EE's, only one of which does not have a beard. I, too, was a bit "meh" with her. As it turns out, she was the first layer and most consistent layer of all the EE's and her eggs are always a nice shape and clear color. Turns out, she is probably my second favorite now. First being my white broody. Can't beat a momma with chicks!!Thanks, Misty. I actually think she's the homiest of the EEs. My favorites were always Agatha and Gladys, but despite having no beard I'm becoming more and more partial to Pearl. She has the strangest pattern. It looks like half of her is in shadow...so hard to describe, but there's a distinct line of demarcation on her back.
Pearly-girl, 18 weeks....see how strange the line is? Oh, and those aren't red feathers on her wings, they're a really soft brown color.
I think the fascination with the EEs and their colored eggs is why I initially chose them. Instead I love them more because they're like snowflakes - no two are alike! Even as chicks they each looked different, and as they got older it was still easy to tell who was who. Pearl was my darkest colored chick, and Agatha was my light yellow with a little blue on her head and back. She's now white with tan edges and scattered blue feathers, with a blue and white beard. Mathilda and Daphne looked the most alike, and if you're not looking at the heads they still are - both black and white and grey, but while Daphne has a white head and neck and no beard, Mathilda has a black head and a profuse beard. Gladys, well, she's just Gladys - she was a light tan chick and is now a glorious shade of deep gold.
I got a kick out of your comment above… it is something I have said to myself a number of times!! I honestly just like color, and lots of different color! I suppose it is the artist in me. That was my motivation in getting the Roo.. so I could replenish my own flock and not lose the blue/green eggs. I know it is a toss up since I do not know his background, but time will tell. I also had to get more brown eggs layers… since… you know… the brown eggs are the only ones that are farm fresh
Mee toooo! I think they are wonderful. I haven't had any eggs from any of my chickens except for Ida (one of the Red Sex Links) yet, but I'm hoping. I know exactly what you mean about brown eggs - I heard a lady at the grocery store send her daughter back to the cooler section to get brown eggs instead of white ones because those were the "farm eggs and they're better for us." I wanted to hand her a business card and let her know that blue or green eggs are even better, even though I know they aren't! The lady who works at town hall as our clerk was incredulous! "Blue eggs! Birds don't lay blue eggs!" Oh yeah? Somebody better explain that to robins!I got a kick out of your comment above… it is something I have said to myself a number of times!! I honestly just like color, and lots of different color! I suppose it is the artist in me. That was my motivation in getting the Roo.. so I could replenish my own flock and not lose the blue/green eggs. I know it is a toss up since I do not know his background, but time will tell. I also had to get more brown eggs layers… since… you know… the brown eggs are the only ones that are farm fresh. I originally ended up with a lot of leghorns. They lay like champs but other than that don't do much for me. I am hoping that between my cuckoo marans, welsummers, cochins, and buff orps that I get a nice range of shades of brown.
I don't clean their beards, I suppose they do a pretty good job of wiping their faces in the grass. I laugh when I see them doing that because it makes me think of my little boys and their tendency to use their sleeve or their shirt to wipe their face or… ick… nose. I am tempted to tell the EE's to "get a tissue!" I have found that the EE's do a much better job of foraging and that their yolk color is much darker than the leghorns or even the lone NH in my laying flock. Funny thing, too, is that their eggs peel better when hardboiled. No clue why, but it gives me one more reason (besides the beautiful colors) to hoard their eggs!! I gotta say, I am also kind of a fan of no combs or waddles to worry about in the winter time. We skated through this winter with no hen frostbite to speak of and only a bit on the rooster. That is from a coop with less than ideal ventilation. EE's got me hooked, I think!
Ooh, you have such a lovely chicken family! Loved the description of the black ones. EEs are tricky to sex - hence the 2000 plus posts on the Easter Egger sexing thread. "This color is always a hen - no, this color is never a hen....all hens have a single comb - no, here's a hen with a three row comb who's been laying for months now". For every positive rule there's an exception.
The blacks: Are they hatched from your own flock? If so, what did you have for roosters and hens? What do they have for combs? I can't tell? But they look very much like my black sex links that were hatched from EE roo over PBR hen. they are solid black with the slate legs, blackish pea style comb. Some of them have buggy black eyes, others have brown eyes. I think they'll be nice little OE. They have a real nice personality, and blend into the flock well. I hatched one BSL the previous year RIR roo x PBR hen. She had a black straight comb, that didn't turn red until she was almost a year old. She's been an awesome little layer.I'm at a loss with my barred rocks... Some have long narrow tail feathers like a cockerel, but the combs/wattles of a pullet and the body says pullet too... but if you touch that one it jumps like a cockerel.
And these black things? I don't even know WHAT they are. It's a like a Jersey Giant had an affaire with a Sumatra. One has a black comb
IMO, I prefer EE over Ameraucanas. I waited for ever for a local gal's Ameraucanas to start laying after a prolonged winter break, so i could get some hatching eggs. Finally gave up and got my EE, and have been pleased with their egg production. One of my EE laid 3 eggs/week consistently all winter without any extra light. And she was the only one who did lay in the dead of winter!
Thanks, Misty. I actually think she's the homiest of the EEs. My favorites were always Agatha and Gladys, but despite having no beard I'm becoming more and more partial to Pearl. She has the strangest pattern. It looks like half of her is in shadow...so hard to describe, but there's a distinct line of demarcation on her back.
Pearly-girl, 18 weeks....see how strange the line is? Oh, and those aren't red feathers on her wings, they're a really soft brown color.
