So, what is it that you must know about Easter Egger chickens fowl. Easter Egger chickens are a completely new and fascinating breed to me. These birds are fantastic to have as a part of your flock for many reasons, not the least of which are their unique feathers, quirky personalities, and brightly coloured eggs. Read on to find out the truth about the enigma that is Easter Egger chickens.
The Easter Egger chicken breed is incredibly complex. To get started, there is a wealth of information available about chickens.
The term “Easter Egger” refers to a category rather than a breed of chicken. These birds lay large, brightly coloured eggs. The colours of the eggs run the gamut from green to blue to pink and beyond.
Unlike other types of chickens, these stand out in appearance thanks to their black-outlined eyes. These chickens are friendly and exciting, so adding them to your flock is a win-win situation. You can keep their content by giving them new treats regularly.
If you can find a flock of tame chickens, you can train them to sit on your lap whenever you’re near. These little birds are perfect for the backyard coop because of their quiet demeanour and manageable size. Detailed information about Easter Egger chickens is provided below.
Background on the Easter Egger Chicken Breed
In the same way, Easter Eagers is not an actual breed. It is important to note that they are still a type of chicken. A breed of chickens carries the gene for producing blue eggs. These chickens have their ancestry in the Araucana chicken breed.
Legend has it that the Araucana breed originated in Chile. As a result of this change, blue eggs started appearing in the nests of these particular chickens.
Easter Egger hens are a hybrid of any breed of chicken and blue layers like Ameraucanas. Many coop owners incorrectly identify Easter Eggers as Araucanas or Ameraucanas.
The origin of the term “Easter Eagers” is unclear. The nuggets on their posteriors inspired the name of these birds. During the annual spring festival, many people hunt for eggs with these characteristics.
It’s All About That Pigment
The blue in their eggs comes from a pigment called enocyanin. This pigment coats the eggshells, giving blue eggs their distinctive hue. It has been scientifically proven that this unusual shade of blue results from a genetic mutation.
Not a Real Breed
Because Easter Eggers are not a recognised chicken breed, it is not uncommon for a pair of Easter Eggers to look nothing alike. Interestingly, when an Easter Egger hen is bred with a hen that lays brown eggs, the resulting breed is called an Olive Egger hen.
And it’s possible that a second-generation Easter Egger would emerge from this sort of breeding. Green egg-laying Easter Eagers can be found between the Marans and Easter Eggers.
However, this category of chickens includes many tiny birds known as bantams.
Most of these chickens are the offspring of a union between a full-sized or bantam blue egg layer and another bantam chicken. The Easter Egger is a small chicken, but the diminutive variety is smaller.
The Characteristics of Easter Egger Chickens
It’s rare to find birds as friendly, resilient, and easygoing as these. They can prosper in both cold and warm climates. These chickens can be used for various purposes, but primarily as pets due to their sociability towards humans of all ages.
Easter Egger Chickens in Terms of Their Outward Appearance
The Easter Egger breed of chickens is a hybrid of different chicken breeds and blue egg layers. This clarifies the reason for the variety in their appearance. These outward appearance variations are what make a breed standard impossible to establish. Unsurprisingly, people don’t think of them as “real” chickens.
Some birds have small, pea-shaped combs, while others have larger, regular combs or a single comb. Some of these fowl sport both single and pea combs.
The Easter Egger chickens vary in appearance, with some sporting beards and ear tufts while others do not. As an additional distinction, some birds have tails, while others are rumpless and lack tails.
Easter Bunny Legs have a variety of hues. Some have lighter or blue legs that set them apart, while others have darker shanks. Their toes are the only part of their bodies that are always the same. All of their feet have four toes.
Easter Egger chickens are available in various colours, from gold to grey. The heavy application of black eyeliner to the upper and lower lids is particularly notable. Grey feathers on some of these chickens highlight their sparkling blue or green eyes.
Roosters and hens both look different, but in a similar way. The appearance of one rooster can vary greatly from that of another. Some may have jet-black plumage, while others may sport copper or grey beards and ear tufts.
Various Shades of Eggs
Easter egg layers use a wide range of hues when laying their eggs. Eggs can be any shade from seafoam green to pale blue to dark green to pink. To your utter astonishment, each bird species lays eggs of a singular hue. For instance, if you have a hen that lays blue eggs, he will always lay blue eggs.
Having the Capability to Lay Eggs
Inevitably, someone will enquire as to whether or not Easter Eggers make good layers. In a word, yes. These hens are excellent layers, and their eggs, likely in various colours, will be large and beautiful. Instead, each chicken’s egg colour will be determined entirely by its genetic makeup.
Inevitably, someone will enquire as to whether or not Easter Eggers make good layers. In a word, yes. These hens are great layers, and their eggs, likely in various colours, will be large and beautiful. Rather, each chicken’s egg colour will be determined entirely by its genetic makeup. Despite their increased egg production, these hens do not develop maternal instincts. With that in mind, ensuring a steady supply of large, colourful eggs throughout the year is a good idea.
At around six or seven months of age, Easter Egger hens begin laying eggs regularly. Some species don’t begin reproducing for up to a year after hatching. However, a variety of factors influence when they begin laying eggs.
What they eat can affect how often they lay eggs. When they begin laying eggs, switch them to a layer of feed that contains 16 per cent protein.
One factor affecting how often they lay eggs is the time of year. Like other chickens, Easter Eggers will lay fewer eggs or stop laying altogether during the winter.
The number of eggs laid each day will also depend on the conditions under which the chickens are kept. Do not expect them to lay eggs usually if kept in an emotionally taxing environment. More eggs from your flock of Easter Eggers are to be expected if all is well in their environment.
