What color eggs do Ameraucanas lay?

True blue — the shell is blue all the way through, not just on the surface. Output is modest at 150–200 medium eggs a year, but the color is the draw.

What's the difference between an Ameraucana and an Easter Egger?

An Ameraucana is a recognized breed with a defined standard (specific colors, a pea comb, muffs and a beard, slate legs) that lays blue eggs. An Easter Egger is not a standardized breed — it's a mixed bird carrying the blue-egg gene, so it can lay blue, green, or other colors and varies in appearance.

Are Ameraucanas hardy?

Yes. Their pea comb resists frostbite and they tolerate both cold and heat well, making them adaptable across most US climates.

Ameraucana: True Blue Eggs (and How It Differs From an Easter Egger)

If blue eggs are the reason you want chickens, the Ameraucana is the breed that actually delivers them — and it’s worth knowing what you’re buying, because the name is widely misused.

The blue-egg breed, properly defined

A true Ameraucana is a recognized breed with a written standard: a pea comb, muffs and a beard, slate-blue legs, defined color varieties, and eggs that are blue through the entire shell. They’re active, alert birds that are nonetheless friendly and tolerate handling, and the pea comb plus solid constitution make them hardy in both cold and heat.

Ameraucana vs. Easter Egger — don’t get switched

This matters when you buy. Many hatcheries and feed stores sell “Ameraucanas” or “Araucanas” that are really Easter Eggers — lovely, hardy mixed birds that carry the blue-egg gene but aren’t a standardized breed. Easter Eggers can lay blue, green, or olive eggs and vary in looks; true Ameraucanas breed true to standard and lay blue. Neither is “better” — Easter Eggers are often hardier and lay a bit more — but if you specifically want the recognized breed (for showing or breeding true), confirm the source. See our separate Easter Egger profile for that side of the coin.

For most backyard keepers who just want pretty eggs and a sturdy, friendly hen, either works beautifully — just know which one you’re getting.

Common questions

What color eggs do Ameraucanas lay?: True blue — the shell is blue all the way through, not just on the surface. Output is modest at 150–200 medium eggs a year, but the color is the draw.
What's the difference between an Ameraucana and an Easter Egger?: An Ameraucana is a recognized breed with a defined standard (specific colors, a pea comb, muffs and a beard, slate legs) that lays blue eggs. An Easter Egger is not a standardized breed — it's a mixed bird carrying the blue-egg gene, so it can lay blue, green, or other colors and varies in appearance.
Are Ameraucanas hardy?: Yes. Their pea comb resists frostbite and they tolerate both cold and heat well, making them adaptable across most US climates.