By definition, EEs aren't purebred. There have been many a debate about the differences between pure blue-egg-laying breeds and the much more common Easter Egger chicken. ... On the other hand, Easter Egger (EE) chickens are not a breed at all; they are actually a hybrid or crossbred offspring from a bird that carries a blue egg gene.
The Easter Egger is not a real breed but a mixed-breed chicken that does not conform to any breed standard. However, they are a popular choice among chicken owners because they are friendly, smart, hardy, and lay well in the winter.
They lay large to extra large eggs in a variety of egg colors, including blue, green, rose, brown, sage, olive, and cream. Many hatcheries mistakenly label their Easter Eggers as Araucanas or true Ameraucanas, so beware if you are looking to show your chickens.
However, if you are simply looking for friendly and hardy chickens that lay different color eggs, Easter Eggers may be a great choice.
Consider the breed's personality and characteristics when making your choice to add to your backyard flock, but if colorful eggs are what you're after you can't go wrong with any of these blue egg layers.
The pure blue-egg-laying breeds:
The true Araucana breed originated in Chile, a combination of the Collonocas and the Quetros chicken breeds. Araucanas are rumpless (without a tail head) and often tufted, and the breed is exceptionally rare since the tufted gene causes many of the chicks to die in their shells. True Araucanas are only available through breeders, and they will always lay blue eggs.
The Ameraucana breed is a bit more common than Araucanas, as they do not have the Araucana's inherent breeding problems. Rather than ear tufts, they have muffs and a beard. They are easy-going birds, known to be both hardy and sweet. Their eggs are always blue, and they even have blue or "slate" colored legs.
The Cream Legbar chicken originated in Great Britain, from crossing Barred Plymouth Rocks with golden Leghorns and Araucanas. These friendly birds are fabulous foragers that love to be outside and are great at avoiding predators. They are also "autosexing," meaning males and females can be differentiated with 100 percent certainty upon hatching. Legbars' eggs are always blue, but may range from a true sky blue to light turquoise or even slightly green eggs.
