Exactly What Does EE Mean?

[KatGold]

This has been driving me nuts!

I thought Easter Eggers was a term broadly applied to chickens that laid blue or green eggs.

Recently, I was told that it is a specific cross (but she didn't know what that specific cross was).

Here on the forum, someone asked the question "How much will my EE lay" (that's a paraphrase, sorry about the quotes) and people answered (and they were laying well!). If EEs are not a specific cross, that makes the question unanswerable, but people did answer, so maybe they are. But....

I see people selling EEs and then state that they are Americaunas.

What the heck is going on?

If there is a bird who lays prolifically blue eggs, I want that bird! If the whole EE "breed" is a crap shoot, than I'd rather get a RIR.

I am looking at a hen online that was sired by a Wheaten Ameraucana rooster, but I don't know it's mother. Is that indicative of a good, blue layer?

Thanks!

 

[draye]

You are right it is a broad term for the blue/green egg layers.
There are however people who make specfic crosses to get their EE's and now OE's (Olive Eggers).

You can ask me about my crosses.

 

[RoosterAddict99]

EE's are a real gamble sometimes. Pure Americaunas are really dificult if not impossible to find, most are just mixes. All my EEs have layed olive colored eggs and I have never had blue eggs although I would like to. It is all a bit confusing.

 

[draye]

Okay you don't have to twist my arm so hard.

I am crossing hatchery Ameruacanas ( Easter Eggers) with Polish to make crested EE's.

 

[KatGold]

Draye, LOL!

Okay, maybe I ought to find another breed. I am trying to raise some different kinds of rare, not such great egg producers, so I need someone who's going to crank out the eggs! I love blue eggs. Any recommendations??

 

[draye]

Araucana's if you can find them for your blue eggs. EE's for the green and blue eggs.
Check out the Marans and Welsummers for your chocolate and terra cotta eggs and try finding some olive eggers or make you some using the Marans, or Welsummers with the Araucana.

If you can't get the Araucana try some Ameraucana.

I however love my EE's because of all the colors and combination of colors and patterns that you get. EE's are mostly good layers themsleves.

I also breed EE to EE.

If you want to add variety of colors red or black sexlinks for brown eggs and leghorns for white eggs.

That will give you a colorful rainbow basket: Blue, Green, Olive, Chocolate, Terra Cotta, Brown and White.

 

[Leavingegypt]

EEs are most commonly Ameruacanas or Aruacanas or other EEs crossed with another breed. EEs do carry the blue egg gene (hence the colorful eggs) in some form but that can show up in a variety of ways. Some EEs are Ameruacanas or Arucanas that didn't meet standards- they will most certainly lay blue eggs. As far as producing eggs, because EEs are often crosses with other breeds- you have to throw what the other breed brings to the egg laying party into the mix. For instances if your EE is a result of breeding an Ameruacana and a high producing breed- Leghorn for example- your EE quite possibly will produce a good quantity of eggs.
The deal with EEs is that most often you DON'T know the crosses, so predicting their egg laying is near impossible until they begin to lay. Even when you do know, it's a 50-50 shot.
So why are EEs so cool? Because they are each so different- their eggs are colorful and who can resist a loveable "mutt".

 

[draye]

If you like the EE, join in the Easter Eggers braggers thread:
Here it is:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273489/the-ee-braggers-thread