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[BlueSilver]

My son attends a special needs school which also has a farm to help teach the children about empathy and caring for animals. I've had great success with teaching son many lessons in life through tending plants and working with animals so I was very happy with developments! However ever since school, he was All About Hens (and goats - hey I can't argue, I like goats too but we've nowhere to put them!). He has been on and on about it and so finally I have caved even though our situation isn't ideal here. Bought an Eglu Cube and a run, - he is all about the colour green too - and trying to remember all the stuff I learned as a nipper about hens (as I know I'll be the one to do most of the work!).

 

However he seems to be on a mission: he wants a chicken which lays coloured eggs. Again, cool idea - I'd like a hen which lays blue eggs, but I did research into some of those breeds and I don't think they'd be suitable (plus there seems a very long waiting list for Chalk Hill Blue). I only want two hens this year, with a view to add another pair every year to keep us in eggs for the long term. So I've been thinking about maybe an Easter Egger? I'm a bit more keen on the hybrids - but I know the Easter Eggers can be a bit of a lucky-dip as to what kind of eggs they will lay. What I'm more worried about is their temperament - I know they're a bit of a mixed bag due to the breeding, but are they especially flighty? Is there anything I should look out for in the breed?

 

Cheers in advance.

[sparkysmum]

Have heard lavender araucanas being referred to as Easter Eggers, not sure why. Anyway I can say that my araucana is skittish to the point of being impossible to catch. Def not cuddly. She is now approaching 5yrs old and I am hoping she will come back into lay this year. She does lay the most gorgeous blue eggs and tbh I wouldn't be without her.

[gavclojak]

The name comes from the resemblance of their colorful eggs to Easter eggs. Apparently Easter eggers are not true Araucanas but share the 'blue gene'

As for getting two girls, I personally would get a Minimum of three, if you got two and was unlucky enough to lose one you would be in the difficult situation of having a lone girl.

[BlueSilver]

Yes I wasn't too keen on getting the araucana pure-breeds as I've heard they're really flighty - hence I considered the hybrids.

 

If I ended up losing one of the first hens then I'd go and get another pair to introduce in so there wouldn't be just the one. I'm not sure I want three straight off the bat, tbh, not sure the extended run is enough space for three. I know in theory the Eglu holds a lot of birds but even with a 2m run, it doesn't seem a whole lot of space to move about to my mind - I can't add an extra bit of run this year, I'm wanting to see how things go with a smaller number and see if I need to make adjustments to garden as far as the run goes - good drainage even with current winter deluge but I want to see how it goes when I get some wood-chip and a run in.

[Redwing]

Easter Eggers are American and it's not a term used in the uk so if you are in the uk you will struggle to find any using that term

 

The closest we have here is the Araucana based hybrid, these are not as flighty but they are hard to find. Araucana crosses are easier to find though but you'll probably need to go to a small scale breeder for one

 

Much easier to find is the Cream Legbar which is a pure breed and autosexing so you can buy chicks as known females and watch them grow maybe. There are also hybrids with a Legbar foundation such as the Cotswold Legbar. Most Legbar hybrids are not guaranteed to lay blue eggs though you may get green, blue, cream or brown tinted

[Chickabee]

I have 2 arauncanas. They are beautiful birds, but a bit snooty. . I have had them a few weeks and haven't picked them up yet. Cream legbars are lovely girls. They start off a bit skittish when young, but calm down a bit. I would recommend clipping the wings, in my experience legbars are extremely good at flying (not high) but far.

 

I too would recommend getting 3, if you're getting a cube with a 2 meter run that will be enough room, and as you get some height with the cube, you can put up some perches.

 

Good luck, I know you'll both love the experience

[Chickabee]

 

My arauncanas Mary and Beatrice. They are, as someone on the forum said, very regal

 

I also have a Welsumer, who will eventually (I hope), lay brown eggs.

[Patricia W]

I have two lavender aracaunas who both lay blue eggs between March and October. Not very friendly and tend to stick together but beautiful.

[dipsychick]

Hi folks I'm new to posting but have been reading the forum for the last 6 yrs hoping one day my chicken dream will come true !

Then may last yr after my dh and 2 ds all said no way mum no chooks . Hubby came home with 3 day old chicks for our minded children to look after ! Well what a mistake to make . To make a long story short we now have 10 pekins , one a rescued rooster , jack sparrow soo handsome ( also not allowed ! ) and finally getting to the point ,the week after christmas we picked up a white star and 2 churchman genoa blues .

They have settled really well and all three have laid from day one , the two genoas are skittish but not as much as the white star and they have calmed a lot in the last few weeks , one lays a beautiful blue egg most days and the other a greenish egg once a week .

Now the pekins are just adorable and will jump on your lap and jack sparrow likes to lay back in your arms and have his belly rubbed !! So they are defiantly good for holding ,catching and having as pets but my new ones are going to be hard to catch when I needed !!

[Chickabee]

that's a lovely story dipsychick. You sooo have morehens disease. I've got it bad too . Started 3 and a half years ago with 3 hybrids and an eglu go. Now have 13, an eglu go, with walk in run. An eglu classic and a traditional. Would really like to get a cube, but think hubby might kill me

 

Ps. Wish I'd thought of giving myself a catchy name don't seem to be able to change it either

[LottyJ1]

French Marans lay beautiful dark terracotta eggs and are friendly for posh birds