Easter Egger

An Easter Egger Hen
A mostly Black Easter Egger hen
Easter Egger eggs and an ISA Warren egg from Denmark

In current American usage an Easter Egger is any chicken that possesses the "blue egg" gene, but doesn't fully meet any breed standard 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 and for many years most hatcheries mistakenly labeled their Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas or Araucanas. The Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger are descended from the same founder stock that spread around the world from Chile and the Falklands. Because of the many breeds that go into them, easter eggers come in many colors and patterns. The pigment oocyanin deposited on the surface of the shell accounts for the blue-green color. Easter Eggers are hardy and excellent layers.

Egg color

Their eggs vary in shade from blue to green and in some cases even pink. Easter Eggers crossed with a dark brown egg layer, such as Marans will result in a chick who will lay olive green eggs, sometimes called an "Olive Egger".

See also

References

    http://www.maranschickenclubusa.com/files/eggreview.pdf http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html https://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/chickens-101/may-breed-of-the-month-olive-egger-chicken/ https://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Easter-Eggers-B145.aspx

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