Everything you need to know about Easter Egger chickens
There are several different factors you should consider when choosing which breed of chicken you should get. First, consider the climate you live in. Do you have excessive heat or cold? Some breeds do not thrive in extreme temperatures so it’s important to consider how you will handle this if you choose to get a breed that does not do well in your climate. You’ll also want to think about their temperament. If you live in a neighborhood or you have children that will be around the chickens, you’ll want a breed that is friendly and quiet. And last but certainly not least, egg production and color!
When we made the decision to get backyard chickens, we did a lot of research on which breed we should get. We might be a little biased, but we love our Easter Egger chickens! In this post you will learn everything you need to know about Easter Egger chickens.
What is an Easter Egger chicken?
An Easter Egger is a cross between a blue egg laying chicken and a different breed that may or may not lay blue eggs. We decided to go with just one breed because we planned on getting 3 chickens and every hatchery had at least a 3-chick minimum per breed. Our local feed store has a 6-chick minimum. We went with Cackle Hatchery since they are located in the Midwest. We wanted our chicks to have the shortest travel time possible.
Temperament
There are many considerations you need to make when choosing which breed of chickens you are going to get. Different breeds have unique temperaments. If you are looking for backyard chickens, you will most likely want to go with a docile and quiet breed. Easter Egger chickens can be more active, but they are very friendly and do not have a tendency to get broody. They are also relatively quiet in our experience. Only one of our chickens can be a little loud when she needs to lay an egg. After all, it is hard work and very exciting!
Climate
You’ll also want to consider your climate when choosing the ideal breed of chicken. Easter Eggers do well in the cold and the heat. Since we can have both here in the Midwest, we knew we needed a breed that could handle both extremes in temperature. Easter eggers do not have large combs so there is less of a risk of developing frostbite.
Egg production
One of the fun attributes when choosing your breed of chicken is the color and number of eggs they will lay. Easter eggers lay 200-250 eggs per year which makes them good layers. They can lay a variety of colored eggs from blue, green, brown or even pink. This is where they get their name from!
If you are considering a breed of chicken to add your backyard flock, the Easter Egger chicken is an egg-cellent choice!
All our love,
Coates & Home