Although this chicken is not actually a chicken breed, but a hybrid, it is still one of the most popular choices for beginners and experienced keepers of backyard chickens alike.
It could be argued that the terms Americana and Americauna are a marketing tactic by some breeders and hatcheries to sell Easter Eggers, whose spelling is deceptively similar to the name of the Ameraucana breed.
The Easter Egger, which gets its name from the fact that it produces a variety of different colored eggs, is friendly, hardy, and easy to care for. In any case, these chickens make good layers and can also be used for meat, making them an excellent choice for many chicken lovers.
The Easter Egger chicken is not a true chicken breed, but a cross between different chicken breeds. It is usually a cross between Araucana and Ameraucana chickens, but in truth Easter Eggers are more mixed and can result from crossing other chickens with Ameraucana or Araucana chickens.
This mixture results in a chicken that does not conform to any particular breed standard, but has a variety of colors and patterns.
The APA recognizes these Ameraucana breed colors: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown, Red, Silver, Wheaten and White. Ameraucanas are more widely available in the United States than Araucanas, but they're available primarily from reputable breeders.
Araucanas are a breed of chicken that originated in South America (Chile) and were later brought to the United States in the 1920s. Araucana chickens are known for laying beautiful blue eggs.
However, a defective gene can cause many Araucana eggs to fail to hatch. As a result, due to this lethal gene, the breed has become increasingly rare, and many people prefer to breed Easter Eggers instead, which can also lay blue eggs.
The Ameraucana chicken, on the other hand, was bred to solve the problem of the Araucana's unhealthy eggs. Ameraucanas were created when Araucanas were crossed with other chickens to eliminate the problematic gene from Araucana chickens.
Easter Eggers have inherited most traits and appearance characteristics from both sides of their mixed ancestry, and therefore many look quite different.
However, they all have some similar characteristics that make them a popular breed. In fact, unlike many other chicken breeds, the popularity of the breed has never really declined since the advent of industrial chicken farming.
Easter Egger chickens sometimes exhibit both characteristics, but since they are more or less a genetic hybrid, owners never know exactly what their Easter Egger chicks will look like. Since it is not a true breed, but a crossbreed, there is also no standard for appearance.
These chickens usually have tails, but some do not. Sometimes they have ear tufts, but most often they have a beard. Also, these chickens can have any type of comb, although it is usually single, and the shape and size of the comb may also vary.
The wattles are usually quite small and have a red color. Easter Egger chickens come in a variety of solid colors and their plumage can also have different patterns. The chicken's legs also vary in color and are usually not feathered, although they sometimes can be.
Easter Eggers aren't very large chickens, though they have a round, plump body shape. The female Easter Egger chicken usually weighs about 4lb, while the male Easter Egger chicken usually weighs about 5lb.
They even come over to people to see what they are doing. Some Easter Eggers even hop onto their owner's lap to be petted.
Because these chickens are so friendly, they are often an excellent choice for families with children. Plus, the curious, energetic nature of these birds make them an interesting addition to a flock.
The Easter Egger chicken is quite good-natured and not easily ruffled. They do not like to get into fights or pecking squabbles with other birds. However, because of their docile nature, other chickens may tease or bully the Easter Eggers.
For this reason, it's best to keep these chickens either in a flock consisting only of Easter Eggers or in a flock consisting only of gentle, quiet breeds.
Easter Egger chickens are known to be very good egg layers and can lay about four eggs per week. The eggs themselves tend to be particularly large. This means that Easter Egger chicken keepers can expect to receive about 200 to 280 extra large eggs each year.
Depending on the hen's genetic makeup, Easter Egger hens can lay eggs of different colors, including blue, pink, cream and a range of browns. However, each hen produces only one color.
For example, if a hen lays pink eggs, she'll only ever lay pink eggs. If chicken farmers want to get a variety of colored eggs, they must keep a variety of hens with different genetic characteristics.
Easter Egger hens aren't known to be broody. They don't have much interest in sitting in a nest or raising chicks. This is useful for chicken keepers who're more interested in obtaining eggs to eat. However, if you've a rooster and want to raise chicks, you can put the eggs in an incubator to hatch.
Because they've beards or tufts, Easter Egger chickens can sometimes be susceptible to parasites such as mites. Keepers can spray their chickens with repellent to reduce the risk of mites. Changing the bedding in the coop and nests frequently can also help keep the area clean and free of mites.
Araucana chickens have a genetic defect that causes the beaks of some birds to grow crooked. The beaks may cross instead of being in line, and this condition may worsen as the bird ages. The crossed beak can make it very difficult for some chickens to eat and drink without assistance.
However, many chickens that have this condition can live long and healthy lives if they receive proper care. Keepers of scissor-beaked chickens can trim their beaks and adjust the height of feed and water points to make eating and drinking easier. Fortunately, because Easter Eggers have a more diverse gene pool, this condition is relatively rare in them.
Easter Egger chickens are quite easy to care for and do well with confinement in the coop. However, they can forage well and enjoy the opportunity to roam freely if there's enough space.
Free-ranging not only allows chickens to explore their surroundings but can also help supplement their diet. Free-ranging allows the chickens to get new and vital minerals and vitamins.
Easter Egger chickens also do well in a variety of climates. They can tolerate heat well as long as they've adequate shade and a constant water supply. They can also tolerate cold weather and the winter months well.
Keepers should simply make sure the chickens have hay or straw in which to stay warm. Chicken keepers should also watch out for any signs of frostbite in cold climates. However, since the combs and wattles of Easter Egger chickens are generally small, frostbite isn't common.
Easter Eggers are readily available and quite inexpensive: they typically cost five dollars or less per chick. This makes them an affordable option for many chicken lovers. When buying chicks, however, some pet owners may come across birds labeled as Americanas.
These are almost always Easter Eggers and not the Ameraucana breed. Ameraucanas tend to be a bit more expensive and much harder to find. Chicken lovers can usually buy birds labeled as Americanas without hesitation, knowing that they're most likely Easter Eggers.
These birds are friendly, curious, and docile, which makes them a good choice for families with children or for novice chicken keepers. They also produce a large amount of eggs, so they're both useful and fun, making them a great addition to almost any flock.
Further Reading:
If you'd like to learn more about this bird and other breeds as well, check out our Chicken Breed section.
Is an Americano chicken the same as an Easter Egger?
But first, let me make a correction. The Ameraucana is a breed recognized in the 1970s by APA (American Poultry Association). The Americana is not - in fact, there is no breed called Americana. Any of the following are NOT Ameraucana's, they are all rather Easter Eggers: Americana, Americano, Ameracauna, Americauna, Ameraucauna, Ameracana, Ameruacana or any other strange spelling of spelling Ameraucana is an Easter Egger, NOT an Ameraucana.It could be argued that the terms Americana and Americauna are a marketing tactic by some breeders and hatcheries to sell Easter Eggers, whose spelling is deceptively similar to the name of the Ameraucana breed.
The Easter Egger, which gets its name from the fact that it produces a variety of different colored eggs, is friendly, hardy, and easy to care for. In any case, these chickens make good layers and can also be used for meat, making them an excellent choice for many chicken lovers.
Where do Easter Eggers come from?
The Easter Egger chicken is not a true chicken breed, but a cross between different chicken breeds. It is usually a cross between Araucana and Ameraucana chickens, but in truth Easter Eggers are more mixed and can result from crossing other chickens with Ameraucana or Araucana chickens.
This mixture results in a chicken that does not conform to any particular breed standard, but has a variety of colors and patterns.
The APA recognizes these Ameraucana breed colors: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown, Red, Silver, Wheaten and White. Ameraucanas are more widely available in the United States than Araucanas, but they're available primarily from reputable breeders.
Araucanas are a breed of chicken that originated in South America (Chile) and were later brought to the United States in the 1920s. Araucana chickens are known for laying beautiful blue eggs.
However, a defective gene can cause many Araucana eggs to fail to hatch. As a result, due to this lethal gene, the breed has become increasingly rare, and many people prefer to breed Easter Eggers instead, which can also lay blue eggs.
The Ameraucana chicken, on the other hand, was bred to solve the problem of the Araucana's unhealthy eggs. Ameraucanas were created when Araucanas were crossed with other chickens to eliminate the problematic gene from Araucana chickens.
Easter Eggers have inherited most traits and appearance characteristics from both sides of their mixed ancestry, and therefore many look quite different.
However, they all have some similar characteristics that make them a popular breed. In fact, unlike many other chicken breeds, the popularity of the breed has never really declined since the advent of industrial chicken farming.
Breed standard and appearance
- Females weigh around 4lb while males weigh about 5lb
- They are available in a variety of colors
- EE chickens can be rumpless
Easter Egger chickens sometimes exhibit both characteristics, but since they are more or less a genetic hybrid, owners never know exactly what their Easter Egger chicks will look like. Since it is not a true breed, but a crossbreed, there is also no standard for appearance.
These chickens usually have tails, but some do not. Sometimes they have ear tufts, but most often they have a beard. Also, these chickens can have any type of comb, although it is usually single, and the shape and size of the comb may also vary.
The wattles are usually quite small and have a red color. Easter Egger chickens come in a variety of solid colors and their plumage can also have different patterns. The chicken's legs also vary in color and are usually not feathered, although they sometimes can be.
Easter Eggers aren't very large chickens, though they have a round, plump body shape. The female Easter Egger chicken usually weighs about 4lb, while the male Easter Egger chicken usually weighs about 5lb.
Personality and temperament
Easter Eggers are known as some of the friendliest chickens on the market, which has made them an immensely popular choice for backyard farms or chicken coops. They love to be petted and do not mind being picked up, making them quite easy to handle and great pets.They even come over to people to see what they are doing. Some Easter Eggers even hop onto their owner's lap to be petted.
Because these chickens are so friendly, they are often an excellent choice for families with children. Plus, the curious, energetic nature of these birds make them an interesting addition to a flock.
The Easter Egger chicken is quite good-natured and not easily ruffled. They do not like to get into fights or pecking squabbles with other birds. However, because of their docile nature, other chickens may tease or bully the Easter Eggers.
For this reason, it's best to keep these chickens either in a flock consisting only of Easter Eggers or in a flock consisting only of gentle, quiet breeds.
Easter Egger Egg Laying
- Easter Egger chickens lay about four eggs per week.
- The eggs can be a variety of different colors
- The eggs are particularly large
Easter Egger chickens are known to be very good egg layers and can lay about four eggs per week. The eggs themselves tend to be particularly large. This means that Easter Egger chicken keepers can expect to receive about 200 to 280 extra large eggs each year.
Depending on the hen's genetic makeup, Easter Egger hens can lay eggs of different colors, including blue, pink, cream and a range of browns. However, each hen produces only one color.
For example, if a hen lays pink eggs, she'll only ever lay pink eggs. If chicken farmers want to get a variety of colored eggs, they must keep a variety of hens with different genetic characteristics.
Easter Egger hens aren't known to be broody. They don't have much interest in sitting in a nest or raising chicks. This is useful for chicken keepers who're more interested in obtaining eggs to eat. However, if you've a rooster and want to raise chicks, you can put the eggs in an incubator to hatch.
Health problems and care
Easter Egger chickens are known to be very hardy birds and usually don't suffer from any particular diseases or ailments. They're also very easy to care for and don't require more attention than other chicken breeds.Because they've beards or tufts, Easter Egger chickens can sometimes be susceptible to parasites such as mites. Keepers can spray their chickens with repellent to reduce the risk of mites. Changing the bedding in the coop and nests frequently can also help keep the area clean and free of mites.
Araucana chickens have a genetic defect that causes the beaks of some birds to grow crooked. The beaks may cross instead of being in line, and this condition may worsen as the bird ages. The crossed beak can make it very difficult for some chickens to eat and drink without assistance.
However, many chickens that have this condition can live long and healthy lives if they receive proper care. Keepers of scissor-beaked chickens can trim their beaks and adjust the height of feed and water points to make eating and drinking easier. Fortunately, because Easter Eggers have a more diverse gene pool, this condition is relatively rare in them.
Tips for raising Easter Egger chickens.
Easter Egger chickens are quite easy to care for and do well with confinement in the coop. However, they can forage well and enjoy the opportunity to roam freely if there's enough space.
Free-ranging not only allows chickens to explore their surroundings but can also help supplement their diet. Free-ranging allows the chickens to get new and vital minerals and vitamins.
Easter Egger chickens also do well in a variety of climates. They can tolerate heat well as long as they've adequate shade and a constant water supply. They can also tolerate cold weather and the winter months well.
Keepers should simply make sure the chickens have hay or straw in which to stay warm. Chicken keepers should also watch out for any signs of frostbite in cold climates. However, since the combs and wattles of Easter Egger chickens are generally small, frostbite isn't common.
Easter Eggers are readily available and quite inexpensive: they typically cost five dollars or less per chick. This makes them an affordable option for many chicken lovers. When buying chicks, however, some pet owners may come across birds labeled as Americanas.
These are almost always Easter Eggers and not the Ameraucana breed. Ameraucanas tend to be a bit more expensive and much harder to find. Chicken lovers can usually buy birds labeled as Americanas without hesitation, knowing that they're most likely Easter Eggers.
Summary
Easter Egger chickens have been a popular homestead and farm chicken for many years, and when you take a closer look at this hybrid chicken, it becomes very clear why that is so.These birds are friendly, curious, and docile, which makes them a good choice for families with children or for novice chicken keepers. They also produce a large amount of eggs, so they're both useful and fun, making them a great addition to almost any flock.
Further Reading:
If you'd like to learn more about this bird and other breeds as well, check out our Chicken Breed section.
