Which lays more eggs, the Ameraucana or the Cream Legbar?

The Cream Legbar typically lays more: 180–220 eggs a year against the Ameraucana's 150–200. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.

Which starts laying first, the Ameraucana or the Cream Legbar?

The Cream Legbar usually starts sooner, at 18–22 weeks old; the Ameraucana typically starts at 20–24 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars together?

Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.

What color eggs do Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars lay?

Both lay blue eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

Ameraucana vs Cream Legbar: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: the Cream Legbar lays more (180–220 eggs a year vs 150–200) and starts sooner, at 18–22 weeks.

Figures reviewed against hatchery and breed-registry guidance · Last reviewed July 2026

Side by side

	Ameraucana	Cream Legbar
Eggs per year	≈ 150–200	≈ 180–220
Egg color	blue	blue
First egg	20–24 weeks	18–22 weeks
Size class	standard	standard
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	4 sq ft

Both lay genuinely blue eggs and breed true. The Legbar adds auto-sexing — male and female chicks hatch visibly different — while the Ameraucana brings the pea comb, muffs, and beard.

Ameraucana in brief

A true breed (unlike the Easter Egger) that breeds pure for blue eggs, with a pea comb, muffs, and a beard. Hatchery "Ameraucanas" are often actually Easter Eggers.

More detail: when do Ameraucana chickens start laying?

Cream Legbar in brief

A British auto-sexing breed (male and female chicks hatch visibly different) that lays sky-blue eggs and forages hard.

More detail: when do Cream Legbar chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick the Ameraucana for the classic bearded, muffed blue-egg breed.

Pick the Cream Legbar for a few more eggs and the auto-sexing trick — no surprise cockerels.

And honestly, most keepers don't have to choose. Both breeds eat the same feed and share a coop happily, so a couple of each is a common answer — use the coop size calculator to size the setup for your total flock, and the first egg calculator to see when each breed will start laying from your chicks' hatch date.

Frequently asked questions

Which lays more eggs, the Ameraucana or the Cream Legbar?: The Cream Legbar typically lays more: 180–220 eggs a year against the Ameraucana's 150–200. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.
Which starts laying first, the Ameraucana or the Cream Legbar?: The Cream Legbar usually starts sooner, at 18–22 weeks old; the Ameraucana typically starts at 20–24 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars together?: Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.
What color eggs do Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars lay?: Both lay blue eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

More breed matchups

Sources

First-egg age and egg counts are the consensus of multiple hatchery and breed-registry sources (no extension service tabulates per-breed figures), cross-checked and last reviewed July 2026.

The Livestock Conservancy — Chicken breed profiles