For egg lovers, the easter egger is a dream come true. These intriguing chickens actually lay eggs in shades of blue, green, and even red! They’re also known as “easter egg chickens” because they hatch differently than other chickens.
People want to know when their Easter Egger will start laying, whether they should hatch a female or a male, and even if they should choose one of the hybrids they’re advertising online. This article will discuss these questions in depth.
When Do Easter Eggers Start Laying?
Easter Eggers (also known as Easter Egg Chickens) lay blue and green eggs—or, in some cases, any color other than brown. They don’t have a specific breed standard, but rather are a broad category of poultry that have a mix of Ameraucana and Araucana genes. In other words, they’re egg-laying machines!
If you’re hatching chicks or buying chicks from the store, you can expect your Easter Egger to start laying somewhere between five and seven months. It’s important to consider, however, that there are variables that can affect when exactly your chicken will start laying:
– Differences in individual chicken breeds. Remember that Easter Eggers are a mixed bag of different breeds. Some chickens may be more closely related to the Ameraucana side of the family than others, so they may take longer to start laying eggs than those who are more closely related to the Araucana side of the family tree.
– Diet and conditions. If your chickens are well fed and thriving in their environment, they’ll likely reach maturity sooner than those who aren’t being well cared for.
– Age of the chicken when you buy it. If you buy Easter Egger chicks at just one day old, they will naturally take around 6 months to start laying. On the other hand, if you bought them when they are 6 months or older, you can expect them to lay eggs right away.
What Is an Easter Egger?
An Easter Egger is a chicken that lays blue or green eggs, but they are not a true breed. The term is used to describe birds that aren’t purebred, but that lay colored eggs instead of brown or white.
For example, Ameraucanas and Araucanas are both true breeds with specific characteristics. But the offspring of those breeds and other hens are called Easter Eggers, even if they don’t have the same characteristics as their parents.
In other words, there’s no way to tell whether an individual Easter Egger will have black skin or feathers around its neck like an Ameraucana or be completely lacking in tail feathers like an Araucana (it may have no traits at all from either parent).
How Many Eggs Do Easter Eggers Lay?
Easter Eggers can lay up to 250 eggs per year. This number depends on the individual chicken, its breed, and the environment they are living in. It’s difficult to predict how many eggs a chicken will lay or how often a chicken will lay an egg. Chickens that are fed high-quality food, have access to plenty of sunlight and water, and have enough space to roam will be happy and healthy chickens. Happy and healthy chickens lay more eggs than those that are mistreated or malnourished.
Even though Easter Eggers aren’t known for their egg-laying qualities, they can still produce about 250 eggs per year, which is more than enough for a family looking for fresh eggs!
For comparison purposes, here are some average egg production estimates:
Rhode Island Reds: 200–250 brown eggs per year
Australorps: 200–280 brown eggs per year
Wyandottes: 150–200 brown eggs per year
Silkies: 120–150 white/cream/blue/green eggs per year
What Color Eggs Do Easter Eggers Lay?
When it comes to eggs, one of the most popular Easter Egger characteristics is that they lay a great variety of different colored eggs. This is a big deal for those who want to add some color to their breakfast table each morning, but what exactly are these colors? Let’s take a closer look at the types of eggs Easter Eggers lay and how you can determine which color your chicken will lay.
The Easter Egger breed is not an actual breed, but rather a hybrid of two different breeds. The Ameraucana chicken and the Araucana chicken are both strong egg layers and produce eggs with blue shells.
However, because the Easter Egger is a cross between these two breeds, there is no guarantee that your chickens will lay blue eggs. In fact, many Easter Eggers have been bred with other chickens that carry the red earlobe gene (which provides a visual cue in determining which color eggs they will lay), producing multicolored eggs.
Easter Eggers can produce any number of different egg colors. Some popular colors include:
- Blue
- Green
- Pink
- Tan
- Brown
- Olive green
How Long Do Easter Eggers Chickens Lay Eggs?
Easter Eggers start laying eggs around 18-24 weeks of age. They will then continue to produce eggs for the next 5 years or so. Some say that laying can go on up to 10 years but this is rare and depends on a lot of factors such as environment, diet, and more.
So if you’re planning on getting some Easter Egger hens for your backyard flock then you should expect them to produce large amounts of colored eggs every day for the next 5 years!
When Should I Buy Easter Egger Chickens?
You can buy day-old Easter Egger chicks in the spring and early summer. We recommend buying Easter Egger chickens in the late winter or early spring so that they will be able to mature over the summer and start producing eggs in the fall.
You can also get started with this fun chicken by purchasing hatching eggs online and incubating them yourself.
Are Easter Eggers a Good Choice for a Backyard Breed?
Easter Eggers are a good choice for a backyard bird if you want an exciting surprise every time they lay eggs. While they’re not a recognized breed, they are generally known to be hardy, curious birds that will add some visual interest to your flock thanks to their feathered feet and colorful plumage.
Easter Eggers don’t grow as large as other popular backyard breeds like the Rhode Island Red or the Plymouth Rock, so they can be easier to handle and take up less space. They’re also pretty easy-going birds, which means that they’re less likely to get aggressive or pick fights with other chickens. When it comes to egg production, Easter Eggers might not be quite as consistent as other breeds—but where these birds lack in reliability, they make up for in their eggs!
While most chickens lay one kind of colored egg throughout their entire lives, Easter Eggers can change the color of their eggs from year to year and from season to season. The shell of each egg is determined by the hen’s genetics; the color will often vary from pale blue or green to tan or brown. If you have more than one Easter Egger, you could end up with a rainbow assortment of eggs every morning.
Conclusion
Most Easter Eggers will begin laying between eight and ten months of age. it’s generally best to wait at least eight months before expecting your hen to start laying.
