Prairie Bluebell Egger: Things To Know
If the name Prairie Bluebell Egger is relatively new to you, don’t worry. They’re a fairly new breed and not that widespread yet. Because of their lovely, high-quality, blue-colored eggs, the breed is becoming increasingly popular.
Let’s find out everything there is to know about this blue egg layer.
- Prairie Bluebell Eggers lay 240 eggs yearly
- Cross-breed of Araucana and White Leghorn
- Lays beautiful blue-shelled eggs
- Great egg layers
- Docile but active
Characteristics
A Prairie Bluebell Egger is a hybrid bird, not a true chicken breed. This means there are no characteristics specified or registered. The Prairie Bluebell Egger is the offspring of a White Leghorn hen and an Araucana rooster, producing an outstanding egg layer that lays beautiful blue eggs.
| Eggs | 240 eggs per year |
| Egg Color | Blue |
| Egg Size | Medium |
| Weight | 4 – 5 lbs |
| Hardiness | Cold & heat |
| Temperament | Active and docile |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
| Color | Varies |
The Prairie Bluebell Egger is not a real chicken breed, so it can vary in characteristics, looks, and color patterns. It’s impossible to tell what your Prairie Bluebell Egger will look like. So, if you’re looking for a breed with specific characteristics, the Prairie Bluebell Egger is not for you as their looks are unsure.
But there are some characteristics to specify. They are medium-sized birds weighing around 5 pounds for males and 4 pounds for females. They all have a pea comb inherited from the Araucana parent, and some have fluffed faces.
Prairie Bluebell Egger Breed
As mentioned before, the Prairie Bluebell Egger is not a recognized chicken breed but a hybrid created by Hoover’s Hatchery. The hatchery used purebred Araucana roosters, carrying two copies of the dominant blue egg gene.
Mixing the genes of the purebred Araucana with a White Leghorn resulted in a hardy and active bird that lays blue eggs and brings up to 5 eggs per week to the table.
Hoover’s Hatchery introduced the Prairie Bluebell Egger in its catalog in 2019. They registered the name ‘Prairie Bluebell Egger’ as a trademark in 2021.
Currently, the breed is gaining popularity because of its excellent egg-laying skills of beautifully colored blue eggs.
Egg Production
As Prairie Bluebell Eggers is a crossbreed, with the White Leghorn being one of its parents, they’re excellent egg layers. Hens lay approximately 240 blue-colored eggs annually, all medium in size.
Pullets reach sexual maturity at five months of age and will begin to lay around that time, although this may vary from bird to bird. If you notice your hen squatting when you approach them, this means she’ll soon lay her first egg, as it is a sign of sexual maturity.
Prairie Bluebell Egger hens rarely go broody, which is excellent news if you’re not planning on hatching eggs. Broodiness will temporarily stop egg production. But if you want to hatch chicken eggs, you may consider using an incubator instead or find a breed that’s more likely to sit on the eggs.
As this breed is not an actual breed but a hybrid, they will not breed true. A male plus female Prairie Bluebell Egger will not give you Prairie Bluebell Egger offspring. Some offspring will be white egg layers, not carrying the blue gene, making them Easter Eggers.
If you’re planning on breeding with this breed, learn about egg colors and breeding genetics before you start to avoid surprises.
Personality
Prairie Bluebell Egger chickens are easygoing, beginner-friendly chickens. They’re both cold and heat-hardy, making them suitable for almost any climate. However, all chickens prefer colder temperatures over hot ones. Always take extra precautions when extreme weather, like heat waves, is coming.
They’re an active breed that loves to free-range. They are fine in confinement but need enough space to forage and stretch their legs. They can, however, be somewhat flighty.
Provide a minimum of 6 feet of fencing; you can expand to 8 feet if your chickens are eager to escape the run or if you want to be sure they won’t escape to your neighbors.
If they escape, don’t worry, you can try and catch them, but eventually, they’ll return to the coop by themselves once dusk comes.
Because the Prairie Bluebell Egger descends from Araucanas and White Leghorns, they’re not known to be lap chickens that can be picked up and petted. But they are a friendly, docile breed and a good addition to any backyard flock.
Summary
The Prairie Bluebell Egger is a hybrid chicken developed by Hoover’s Hatchery by crossing an Araucana and a White Leghorn. The breed was first introduced in 2019. They lay beautiful blue-colored eggs and are excellent egg layers laying up to 240 eggs annually. They are friendly, calm, and a great addition to any backyard flock, but some birds can be rather flighty.
If you want to learn more about chicken breeds that lay colored eggs, check out our article ‘10 Popular Chickens With Colored Eggs‘. Or go to our listicle breed summary on ‘The Classroom‘, or, if you’re unsure where to start, take a look at our ‘Chicken Breeds: Ultimate Beginners Guide‘.
Related Questions
Prairie Bluebell Egger is a mix of an Araucana rooster and a White Leghorn hen. Hoover’s Hatchery developed the breed to create a chicken that produces many blue-colored eggs.
Prairie Bluebell Egger hens lay approximately 240 eggs yearly. That’s up to five eggs per week.
Prairie Bluebell Egger hens lay their first egg around 5 months of age, but it can vary from bird to bird.
They lay blue-colored eggs. All eggs are medium-sized. The breed was developed to lay a large quantity of high-quality blue eggs.
Hens cost around $8, roosters $5, and unsexed chicks $6. The breed is available for purchase at Hoover’s Hatchery and Tractor Supply.
Credits Featured Image: @arm_the_animals_ (IG)
