Easter Egger Chickens - The Ultimate Breed Guide
Looking to add a little more color to your farm? Enter - Easter Egger chickens!
This breed of chicken is most popular for its unique and wide range of colors for its eggs. The colors range from blues, greens, and even pink. Easter Eggers are not only famous for their egg production, but for their friendly and docile personalities as well!
Interested? Read on to learn more about Easter Egger chickens, how to care for them, and what to consider before adding these unique birds to your home.
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Are Easter Eggers Good Chickens?
Easter Egger chickens are one of the best breeds of chickens you can purchase for your homestead. Here are a few reasons why these chickens would be a wonderful addition to your farm:
They are friendly and docile.
No one chicken is the same because their unique combination of parents allows for a unique variety of colorations.
They lay a wide variety of eggs in colors ranging from blue to green and sometimes even pink.
These chickens are hardy and can tolerate warmer and colder temperatures with the right accommodations.
Easter Egger chickens aren’t susceptible to diseases and pests except for common parasites and scissor beaks.
If you’d like to see what Easter Egger chickens may look like, as well as more information about the breed, check out this video:
History and Background of the Easter Egger Chicken
Because of their consistent popularity and the crossing of various breeds, it is difficult to track just when they became one of the most popular breeds in the United States. However, we can assume that they gained popularity around the 1970s.
The Easter Egger chicken is produced when crossing an Araucana or Ameraucana chicken with any other breed of chicken that usually lays brown eggs. The goal was to eliminate genetic deficiencies and produce blue or another color of the egg.
Araucana chickens originate from Chile, South America, and gained popularity in the 1930s. They are rumpless birds, meaning they have no tail or coccyx. They have ear tufts and a pea comb. On account of their ear tufts, this breed developed a lethal ear tuft gene.
Ameraucana chickens were derived from Aracana chickens and were bred with other backyard chickens to try and eliminate that lethal ear tuft gene. Therefore, their ancestors come from South America and gained popularity around the 1970s.
Both breeds produce blue eggs, and, when crossed with other breeds, can lay a wide variety of colored eggs.
Now, the Easter Egger chicken is among one of the most popular breeds in the United States.
Breed Standard and Appearance
There is no standard for the Easter Egger chicken because they are born with such a diverse range of colorings and features.
However, there are a few more common features that you can expect to see in your Easter Egger chickens.
For example, a single and pea comb is most common among the breed as are red or white ear colors. Some chickens will hatch with a wide variety of colored ear tufts. Wattles are typically red and small.
In addition, most Easter Egger chickens have a tail, but there are some that are rumpless. Legs are typically hairless but come in a vast amount of colors ranging from yellowish to blue-greenish.
All Easter Eggers have four toes with different colored footpads. Typically, males can get up to five pounds while females can get up to four pounds.
Again, there is no standard for this breed of chicken. That being said, you can assume some of the physical characteristics from the chick’s parents, but, otherwise, you can expect a completely unique chicken!
Egg Laying Capabilities
Easter Egger chickens have excellent egg laying capabilities. On average, these chickens lay about four eggs every week which comes out to about 200 eggs per year. They can produce up to 280 eggs per year.
In addition, one Easter Egger chicken will only produce one color for her eggs, not a rainbow of colors. For example, if a hen lays her first egg and it’s olive green, all the eggs she lays for the rest of her life will be olive green.
If you want more variety in the color of your eggs, purchase a few different Easter Egger chickens.
Why Do Easter Eggers Lay Blue Eggs?
The blue coloration of Easter Egger eggs is largely due to something called oo-cyan. Oo-cyan is the blue pigmentation of a bird’s eggshell. The pigmentation penetrates the surface.
In other words, the outside and inside of the shell will be blue and is not able to be rubbed off.
Egg coloration is due to liver pigmentation or oo-cyanin. In other words, bile production produces a blue color during the early stages of egg development.
Personality and Temperament
There is a reason why Easter Egger chickens are incredibly popular, especially in the United States.
Easter Egger chickens have a reputation for being one of the most docile, gentle, curious, and outgoing breeds of chickens.
These chickens are super friendly and often seek out socialization with humans and other chickens. Once they know who takes care of them, they will often seek you out for treats or to even sit in your lap.
If you have children, you don’t have to worry about the chickens chasing them or being aggressive. This breed is extremely family-friendly and will make great companions for your children.
That being said, you’ll just need to watch your kids' interactions with them so they aren’t being too rough with the chickens.
Because these birds are more friendly, that means they are also among the more submissive breed. If they are grouped together with other more aggressive breeds, they are more susceptible to bullying from other chickens.
You’ll have to look out for behavioral interactions if you have Easter Egger chickens with other breeds. Keep an eye out for pecking, chasing, or other aggressive behavior from other chickens since Easter Eggers do not really stand up for themselves.
If you do have other breeds of chicken that show signs of more aggression or dominance, you might want to consider separating the Easter Egger chickens from the other breed. Further, Easter Eggers need extra protection from other predators since they are more submissive.
Another bittersweet characteristic about Easter Eggers is that they are curious chickens. They enjoy being able to investigate their surroundings and what may be beyond their surroundings.
Curiosity from these birds will be fun to observe, but that also means they can be escape artists. Make sure you keep a close eye on them and have a secure area that is hard for them to penetrate.
What Color Eggs Do Easter Egg Chickens Lay?
There is no one color that Easter Egger chickens lay. The most common colors range in shade from blue, blue-green, olive green, browns, and even pink.
These colors range in vibrance and shade, resulting in a beautiful selection of nicely-colored eggs. For example, green-dominant eggs from this breed can go through shades of gray, brighter greens (sea-glass), and olive shades.
What is it Like to Own an Easter Egger?
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance chicken that is friendly, a good and efficient egg producer, and unique in appearance and egg color? Then Easter Egger chickens might be right for you.
Here are a few tips for raising an Easter Egger.
Free-Range or Confinement?
Easter Egger chickens prefer to be free-range, especially since they are more curious in personality. However, they can tolerate confinement as long as they are given about three to four square feet per chicken.
If you do choose to keep them confined, they might benefit from some opportunities to free-range. Not only does this satisfy their curiosity, but it can cut costs on your food bill.
In other words, these chickens are efficient and effective grazers and won’t be as hungry when they return to the coop after grazing. You won’t have to supplement their hunger as much if you allow them to free-range.
Additionally, when keeping these chickens in confinement, make sure to have effective defenses and boundaries to prevent them from escaping. Good chicken wire and continuous maintenance of your confinement area will help prevent these chickens from escaping.
Feed
The feed for these chickens is pretty standard.
For chicks, you will want to start them on 21% starter feed.
At eight weeks, provide these chickens with 18% grower feed.
By the time they lay their first eggs, you can give them 16% layer feed.
Alongside the proper feed, these chickens need 24/7 access to fresh, clean water. Consider purchasing a water fountain that prevents chickens from roosting on top of it.
Coop
These chickens are among the smaller breed, so they don’t need too much space for their coop. Ensure they receive about three to four square feet per chicken with a roosting space of about eight to ten inches per chicken.
For nesting boxes, about twelve by twelve inches should suit the size of these chickens just fine.
Health Issues of Easter Egger Chickens
The good news is, that Easter Eggers are a hardy breed! Because of their breeding history, they hardly have any genetic diseases or other health issues.
There are still a few things to look out for such as scissor beak, mites, and lice.
Scissor beak occurs when the top and bottom beak grow in separate directions. If this happens, they can get along just fine with elevated watering and feeding stations. Sure, they’ll need some assistance with food and water, but they can still live full lives.
For mites, lice, or other parasites, you can purchase a repellent to spray around the area. Additionally, it is important to change the bedding regularly. Make sure their hay, straw, or other bedding is constantly dry and clean.
Pros and Cons of Raising Easter Egger Chickens
Pros
Easter Egger chickens are extremely low maintenance and will save you on vet bills. They hardly have any health issues with the exception of common parasites such as mites.
Additionally, these chickens are among the friendliest breed you can purchase. They are great around children and are extremely sociable.
Another pro is that they rarely go broody. These chickens focus on laying eggs for the most part.
Further, these chickens can tolerate colder and warmer temperatures with the right accommodations. Make sure they have proper shade and water access in the warmer months while giving them enough bedding to stay warm in the winter months.
Cons
Because of their docile nature, Easter Eggers will be a little more skittish especially when put with more dominant or aggressive breeds. These chickens need space to escape any bullying that may take place.
If given the chance and environment, these chickens will try to escape their confinement because they are a curious breed. Make sure that they are properly secure or observed if in free range.
Final Thoughts
Looking for a low-maintenance, unique chicken that lays fun-colored eggs? Easter Eggers might be the right chicken for you! If you’re just starting out with raising chickens, this breed is an excellent choice for beginners.
For example, they are hardy birds. In other words, they can tolerate colder and warmer temperatures in addition to not being susceptible to a ton of health issues. The only health issues you should look out for are scissor beaks, mites, lice, or other common parasites.
The good news is, if one of your Easter Eggers does have any of the listed health issues, they are easy health issues to take care of.
If you have children, then you don’t have to worry about these chickens chasing them away. In fact, they will seek out their caretakers for treats or sit on your lap! They are notorious for being docile and friendly, so you don’t have to worry about aggression.
Because of their docile nature, they do need additional protection against other more aggressive breeds of chickens and additional predators. Ensure they are given proper space to escape bullying or separate the Easter Eggers from the other breeds.
If you are looking to purchase one, two, or a whole flock of Easter Eggers, they are relatively inexpensive coming in at under five U.S. dollars.
Want to add an Easter Egger to your home? Consult a nearby breeder for more information and to make a selection! And keep better track of how many eggs you are getting (of every color!) with this helpful chart.
Want to learn more about raising chickens? Be sure to check out these articles!
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