{Araucana cockerel, posted with permission from Fallen Oak Poultry and More}
- -they lay blue eggs of varying shades
- -have a pea comb
- -red earlobes
- -rumpless (no tail)
- -tufted (feathers growing outward just below the ears)
- -no presence of a muff on the face
- -are of the 5 recognized color varieties: black, black breasted red, golden duckwing, silver duckwing, and white {see HERE for breed color examples}
- -unfortunately, Araucanas are “genetically impure”, which means they will not always breed true to their characteristics, producing un-tufted offpsring. Additionally, that tufted gene results in a large percentage of chicks dying before even hatching.
- -they lay blue eggs of varying shades
- -have a pea comb
- -red earlobes
- -have a tail
- -have a muff and beard on and around the face
- -are of the 8 recognized color varieties: black, blue, blue wheaten, brown red, buff, silver, wheaten, & white
- {See HERE for breed color examples}
- -are “genetically pure”, meaning their muff/beard and tail characteristics will breed true
- -lay eggs in a variety of shades, including: blues, greens, pinks, creams, etc.
- -come in a variety of colors/patterns
- -can be clean-faced or have muff/beard
{Our bantam Easter Egger hen “Sahara” and 2012 chicks. Notice her “clean face”.}
{Our Easter Egger pullet “Dazzle” at 9 weeks of age, already showing a full muff and beard.}
This is not to say that Easter Eggers aren’t great chickens- they are! We currently have 7 of them in our flock and we enjoy the variety of colors- from their feathers to their eggs.
{4 of our Easter Egger pullets, age 9 weeks}
What you have in mind as far as your poultry-raising plans go is what really comes into play when deciding which of the three strains of this breed to choose. If you are wanting to raise and breed true Araucanas, you will find yourself investing hundreds of dollars. Ameraucanas are a bit more spendy than your average breed as well. But if you simply want some colorful birds and the enjoyment of pulling a blue/green egg from the nest box- you can acquire an Easter Egger for the same cost as most other breeds.
Whatever you decide, I hope I’ve helped you learn the facts so that you can make an informed decision. Regardless of what you choose, enjoy these beautiful, unique birds. They truly are a joy!
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Well Hello Erin, so nice to meet you and happy to have you aboard. Enjoyed your blog, love the pictures of the fine feathered friends….I am your new follower, Blessings Francine.
I absolutely LOVE your birds! Dazzle’s eyes are gorgeous! This was a great informational post! Thanks for visiting my blog as well!
http://oursimplecrazycountrylife.blogspot.com/
Wonderful explanation of these breeds! I am always confused by them but you made it easy to understand. I’ve had several Easter Eggers and love them and their eggs! They always seem to be a bit more eccentric and slightly weird compared to my other hens haha.
That photo of Sahara and her chicks is just too cute! Nothing like seeing a mama with her baby chicks 🙂
PS – So glad you stopped by my blog! Thanks for the sweet comment. I really enjoyed my visit here!