"Easter egger" chicken wanted

Hi,

I have been keeping chickens for a while now and love the character of having them around, I mainly got them for the eggs at first though.

I am aware that a type of chicken called an "easter egger" lays blue eggs. Does anyone know where I can get one to join my clan. Also looking for a silkie if anyone knows where to get those too?

Im new to the area, so dont know anywhere local to get them.

Hiya,

Easter eggers are not a breed of chicken, but essentially a mix of breeds which will lay a coloured egg (generally green/blue). In my opinion if you wanted blue/green eggs you would be better off with araucana or cream legbar.

Have a look on preloved for birds, but make sure you check before you buy as they may be older than you think! I have some white silkies, but just waiting on someone who says they will have them (although haven't got back to me yet), if not I can PM you.

Thanks

Steve

Hiya,

 

Easter eggers are not a breed of chicken, but essentially a mix of breeds which will lay a coloured egg (generally green/blue). In my opinion if you wanted blue/green eggs you would be better off with araucana or cream legbar.

Have a look on preloved for birds, but make sure you check before you buy as they may be older than you think! I have some white silkies, but just waiting on someone who says they will have them (although haven't got back to me yet), if not I can PM you.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

Thanks Steve, thats helped a lot.

I know someone who rescues and breeds chickens. She's quite into the 'fancy' chickens and regularly has some for sale (she works with schools and let's them hatch the eggs for educational purposes).

Would you like me to see if she has any available?

Yes please Elizabeth13, that would be awesome

She's got two blue egg layers.

One lavender araucana

One frizzle x araucana

Ooh Elizabeth I want to get three or four e hens in the spring when we've had chance to sort the garden and built or buy a nice home for them and I want fancy Hans just haven't determine Ned which so if your friend had any then I'd be very interested please. Was originally thinking Perkin bantams and a silkie but have also see the lavender auracaunas up close too

Hiya,

 

Easter eggers are not a breed of chicken, but essentially a mix of breeds which will lay a coloured egg (generally green/blue). In my opinion if you wanted blue/green eggs you would be better off with araucana or cream legbar.

Have a look on preloved for birds, but make sure you check before you buy as they may be older than you think! I have some white silkies, but just waiting on someone who says they will have them (although haven't got back to me yet), if not I can PM you.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

grenhouse is correct but Americans often call Araucanas easter eggers. They lay a more turquoise blue egg than Cream Legbars.

I used to breed poultry but have downsized and sold my cockerels so I can't help. I used to cross a male Cream Legbar with a female Light sussex as the offspring produced were sexlinked (as opposed to auto sexing CLBs). Their eggs are slightly green/blue.

Ooh Elizabeth I want to get three or four e hens in the spring when we've had chance to sort the garden and built or buy a nice home for them and I want fancy Hans just haven't determine Ned which so if your friend had any then I'd be very interested please. Was originally thinking Perkin bantams and a silkie but have also see the lavender auracaunas up close too

Drop me a line when you do and I'll see what she's got

The lavender has gone now though.

Hi all... Got my two new clucks, thanks for all your help!

Hi guys I'm also after a few pol chickens but all the sellers I've seen are wanting anything from £15 to£25 per chicken! I wouldn't expect to pay more than a tenner at the most as usually they're only about £6 each and sometimes even less. Is anyone selling them for a normal price? If you are please get in touch thanks

You will only get mass produced gingery hybrids for under £10. If you raise chicks it costs around 50p a week to raise each chick. That is excluding buying brooding equipment and power or broody cage if hatching under a hen.

Last year I got through £10 of chick crumb and ended up with just two females. Chicks are very messy and wasteful. Heaven knows how much it cost in shavings to raise them.

Most people will sell you a POL that isn't POL. They incorrectly say pol is an age when it is in fact the time when a bird is about to lay it's first egg. This varies from breed to breed and what time of year you hatch.

Buy young chicks and grow them on if you want them cheaper. You will soon find out the price is very reasonable.

---------- Post added 22-01-2015 at 09:39 ----------

You will only get mass produced gingery hybrids for under £10. If you raise chicks it costs around 50p a week to raise each chick. That is excluding buying brooding equipment and power or broody cage if hatching under a hen.

 

Last year I got through £10 of chick crumb and ended up with just two females. Chicks are very messy and wasteful. Heaven knows how much it cost in shavings to raise them.

 

Most people will sell you a POL that isn't POL. They incorrectly say pol is an age when it is in fact the time when a bird is about to lay it's first egg. This varies from breed to breed and what time of year you hatch.

 

Buy young chicks and grow them on if you want them cheaper. You will soon find out the price is very reasonable.

Just had a look at poultry adverts - only old birds past their useful laying life for sale around the £10 mark. As you are inexperienced, I wouldn't suggest getting a fully grown bird otherwise you will likely get lumbered with an old bird.

Birds come off heat at different ages, depends on size of bird, how many you have together and time of year (for surrounding temperature). Get some youngsters which are off heat but perhaps only about three months old. Depending on breed, they may lay in another two or three months. Very large breeds can take six months to reach POL.

Quality hatching eggs are £1 to £2 each but they can be much more, roughly half will be male. People usually charge £1 per week to raise a chick so you can see how they arrive at their prices.