Which lays more eggs, the Ameraucana or the Easter Egger?

The Easter Egger typically lays more: 200–280 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 Easter Egger?

About the same age: 20–24 weeks for the Ameraucana and 20–25 for the Easter Egger. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers 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 Easter Eggers lay?

The Ameraucana lays blue eggs and the Easter Egger lays green — keeping both gives you a two-tone basket.

Ameraucana vs Easter Egger: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: the Easter Egger lays more (200–280 eggs a year vs 150–200), and both start laying around the same age (20–24 weeks vs 20–25).

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

Side by side

	Ameraucana	Easter Egger
Eggs per year	≈ 150–200	≈ 200–280
Egg color	blue	green
First egg	20–24 weeks	20–25 weeks
Size class	standard	standard
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	4 sq ft

The most-confused pair in poultry: the Ameraucana is a standardized breed that always lays blue, while an Easter Egger is any mix carrying the blue-egg gene — and many hatchery “Ameraucanas” are actually Easter Eggers.

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?

Easter Egger in brief

Not a standardized breed but a blue-egg-gene mix — each hen lays one color for life, but you won't know if it's blue, green, or olive until the first egg.

More detail: when do Easter Egger chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick a true Ameraucana if you specifically want guaranteed blue eggs and a bird that breeds true — expect to buy from a breeder rather than a hatchery bin.

Pick the Easter Egger for more eggs (200–280 vs 150–200) and the surprise factor — each hen lays one color for life, but you will not know if it is blue, green, or olive until the first egg.

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 Easter Egger?: The Easter Egger typically lays more: 200–280 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 Easter Egger?: About the same age: 20–24 weeks for the Ameraucana and 20–25 for the Easter Egger. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers 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 Easter Eggers lay?: The Ameraucana lays blue eggs and the Easter Egger lays green — keeping both gives you a two-tone basket.

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