Understanding Chicken – The Egg Layers EASTER EGGER, LAYER OF BLUE EGGS

By Manny Pinol

In an effort to give followers of this page a deep understanding and knowledge of the domesticated chicken, manokpinoy.com has started a series on the different breeds of chicken from all over the world.

I have classified the breeds into egg-layers, meat producers and dual-purpose.

Most of the articles reposted here were downloaded in part from wikipedia.com and ask.com.

Today, we will continue our features on the egg layers.

The Easter Egger

(information downloaded from Wikipedia.com)

An Easter Egger is any chicken that possesses the “blue egg” gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed description as defined in the American Poultry Association’s (APA) standards, or in the case of Easter Egger bantams, the American Bantam Association’s (ABA) standards.

The name derives from the resemblance of their colorful eggs to Easter eggs.

The Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger are descended from the same founder stock that spread around the world from Chile and the Falklands.

Commonly confused with the pure bred Araucana and Ameraucana, Easter Eggers are often sold under the name of one of the aforementioned.

The majority of chickens in laying flocks that lay blue or green eggs are Easter Eggers.[1] Commonly exhibiting muffs and beards, they generally resemble Ameraucanas.

The color of Easter Eggers is particularly variable, and they appear in a great number of patterns.

(Photo left shows an Easter Egger hen; photo right shows 2 blue eggs of the Eastern Egger compared to the ordinary brown eggs. Photos downloaded from Wikipedia.com)