Difference between revisions of "Easter Egger"
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| − | [[image: | + | [[image:Easteregger.jpg|thumb|A nine-month-old easter-egger hen at [[Jacob Springs Farm]]]] |
| − | '''Easter | + | '''Easter Egger''' is a strain of hens bred for their unique greenish-blue eggs. Easter-egger is not to be thought of as a breed but rather a loosely defined strain of chickens with many different physical and color traits that have one trait in common, the ability to lay eggs of unusual color. |
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| + | This breed is generally kept for the novelty of the colored eggs, however their egg production is reasonably good and they are generally good foragers. | ||
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| + | The [[Araucana]], [[Ameraucana]], and Easter Egger are descended from a population of chickens native to Chile and the Falklands Islands known as [[Mapuche fowl]]. | ||
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| + | The egg colour is an [[autosomal dominant]] trait linked to a DNA retrovirus insertion into the genetic code. | ||
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| + | This gene has been the subject of a [[http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071393#pone.0071393-Gorchein1 scientific study]] | ||
Revision as of 10:15, 9 February 2015
Easter Egger is a strain of hens bred for their unique greenish-blue eggs. Easter-egger is not to be thought of as a breed but rather a loosely defined strain of chickens with many different physical and color traits that have one trait in common, the ability to lay eggs of unusual color.
This breed is generally kept for the novelty of the colored eggs, however their egg production is reasonably good and they are generally good foragers.
The Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger are descended from a population of chickens native to Chile and the Falklands Islands known as Mapuche fowl.
The egg colour is an autosomal dominant trait linked to a DNA retrovirus insertion into the genetic code.
This gene has been the subject of a [scientific study]
