Easter Egger
For a friendly, colourful-egg layer -- Easter Eggers lay blue, green, olive or pink eggs, and each hen lays her own shade.
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Why this fits you
- You want a basket of coloured eggs.
- You want a friendly, hardy hen and do not need a standardised breed.
- You like variety in appearance and are happy with a mixed-breed bird.
The Easter Egger is not a standardised breed. It is a mixed bird that carries the blue-egg gene from Araucana or Ameraucana ancestry, so each hen lays eggs in her own shade of blue, green, olive or sometimes pink. Plumage, size and comb vary, but most are friendly, hardy and productive, with hens around 5 to 6 pounds.
What an Easter Egger is, and is not
The name covers a range of birds with the blue-egg gene. They are not the same as a purebred Ameraucana, which is a recognised breed with specific standards, even though hatcheries sometimes sell Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas. If you want guaranteed blue eggs from a recognised breed, buy from a reputable Ameraucana breeder. If you want colourful eggs from a hardy, friendly bird, an Easter Egger is a good choice and often less expensive.
Eggs and production
Easter Eggers typically lay 200 to 280 medium to large eggs a year. Shell colour is fixed for each hen, so she will lay the same shade throughout her life, and colours can range from pale blue to green, olive and even pinkish. You cannot tell what colour a pullet will lay until she starts, so a mixed group gives a mixed basket.
Temperament and hardiness
Most Easter Eggers are friendly and curious, and many are calm enough to be pets. The pea comb found on many of them resists frostbite, which helps in cold climates, and the breed copes with a wide range of conditions. Because the birds are a mix, individual temperament varies more than in a purebred line.
Housing and care
Plan the standard 4 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 in the run. Offer layer feed and oyster shell. Some Easter Eggers have muffs and beards, which can collect mud, so keep the run dry and check the facial feathers. They are active foragers and do well in a run with room to roam.
Who should choose something else
If you want predictable size, plumage and temperament, or a bird you can enter in a show, choose a standardised breed. Choose an Easter Egger when egg colour and a friendly, hardy layer matter more than the label.
How it compares
| Breed | Eggs/yr | Temperament |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island Red | 200-300 | Assertive |
| Leghorn | 280-320 | Flighty |
| Buff Orpington | 180-200 | Very calm |
| Australorp | 250+ | Calm |
| Silkie | 100-120 | Very gentle |
| Cornish Cross | n/a (meat) | Docile |
| Brahma | 150-200 | Very calm |
| Barred Plymouth Rock | 200-280 | Calm, curious |
| Easter Egger | 200-280 | Friendly |
| Wyandotte | 200-240 | Calm, steady |
| Sussex | 250+ | Friendly, curious |
| Marans | 150-200 | Calm, hardy |
Buying checklist
- Ask the seller whether the chicks are Easter Eggers or true Ameraucanas
- Expect variety: egg shade is fixed for each hen and cannot be predicted at hatch
- Keep faces and beards dry and clean in muddy weather
Run the numbers
Frequently asked questions
What colour eggs do Easter Eggers lay?
Blue, green, olive or sometimes pink. Each hen lays one colour throughout her life.
Is an Easter Egger the same as an Ameraucana?
No. Ameraucanas are a recognised breed. Easter Eggers are a mixed bird that carries the blue-egg gene.
Do Easter Eggers lay in winter?
They lay less in winter as daylight shortens, like most breeds, but are generally dependable.
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