Easter egger
![An orange chicken in a forest.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d8/Virginia_Dare%2C_a_chicken.jpg/220px-Virginia_Dare%2C_a_chicken.jpg)
![A black hen looking at the camera](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/EasterEgger2.jpg/220px-EasterEgger2.jpg)
![A "Blue Easter Egger" hen. The hen has a gray body, and is looking at the camera.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Blue_Easter_Egger.jpg/220px-Blue_Easter_Egger.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Gr%C3%B8nl%C3%A6gger_%C3%A6g.jpg/220px-Gr%C3%B8nl%C3%A6gger_%C3%A6g.jpg)
In American usage, an Easter egger or Easter-egger is any hybrid or mixed-breed chicken resulting from the breeding of a bird carrying the blue egg (oocyan) gene with one that lays brown eggs. Eggs from such a bird may be any shade of blue or brown,[1]: 175 , or occasionally pink or pale yellow.[2] These birds do not constitute a breed, and so are not recognized by the American Poultry Association or the American Bantam Association.[2] They may be marketed as "Americana", but are quite different from the Ameraucana, a recognized breed.[2]
Characteristics
[edit]Hybrid birds of this type may be of any color. They are commonly muffed and bearded, often with a pea-comb; the wattles may be small or absent. The legs can be grey, yellow, or greenish.[1]: 175 Because of their cross-breeding, Easter Eggers do not have set egg or body colors. Easter Eggers are mainly egg-laying birds, as their meat is not great. Easter Eggers are also known for being good pets around children.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Kathy Shea Mormino (2017). [https://books.google.com/books?id=NlA0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT175 The Chicken Chick's Guide to Backyard Chickens. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press, 2017. ISBN 9780760359792.
- ^ a b c Araucana; Ameraucana; Americana or the Easter Eggers. APA-ABA Youth Poultry Club. Archived 19 October 2013.