When I first heard of cherry eggers, I was so excited. I thought of olive eggers, and Easter eggers, and assumed that cherry eggers laid reddish eggs. I was wrong. Cherry eggers don’t lay cherry-colored eggs.
In fact, in both looks and laying, cherry eggers are almost indistinguishable from my nemesis the Rhode Island red. But, personality-wise, cherry eggers are easier to keep and handle than Rhode Island reds.
They’re easy to care for, cold hardy, and adaptable, but there are a few things you should know.
Cherry Egger Basics
Because cherry eggers (CEs) are a new breed – probably developed to jump onto the current “egger” craze in chicken circles – it’s hard to say anything certain about them as a breed.
Right now, chick owners are loving all the “egger” varieties. We have Easter eggers, olive eggers, moss eggers, and prairie bluebell eggers. It’s quite a fad. But CEs are awesome enough to ride the trend and stay on as valuable members of the coop.
Cherry eggers are named for their simple, reddish-brown feathering. They look like a slightly heavier version of Rhode Island reds, because CEs were developed as a cross between Rhode Island reds and New Hampshire reds.
Both of these breeds are production layers, laying over 250 eggs each year. But New Hampshire reds tend to be a bit heavier. They’re more of a dual-purpose bird than Rhode Islands.
New Hampshires are also more placid birds than Rhode Islands. Fortunately for us, while cherry eggers look like Rhode Islands, they tend to act more like New Hampshires.
But, because this is such a new crossbreed, it’s hard to be sure of what you’re getting. Many people buying cherry eggers have found out later that they’re just buying Rhode Islands or New Hampshires with a fancy, new name and a higher price tag.
Some hatcheries simply select darker red chicks from a batch of Rhode Islands and relabel them.
You need to make sure you’re buying a first-generation cross between a Rhode Island red and a New Hampshire red.
True cherry eggers share many characteristics with their parent breeds. They can handle a variety of temperates and climates. They’re friendly and will adapt to a bunch of different environments.
Because CEs aren’t a standardized breed, there is a lot of variation regarding personality, temperament, health, and lifespan if you don’t get a first-generation chick.
Despite that variation, you can still get a basic introduction to cherry eggers as a crossbreed. Remember though, that not all birds you see sold as “cherry eggers” are really part of this crossbreed. They may just be dark reddish Rhode Island reds.
Coloration
While there is some variation, most cherry eggers are a dark, reddish brown. Some even have very dark brown, almost black, feathering along the back, neck, and tail. If you’ve kept Rhode Island reds, think of CEs as similar to your darker Rhode Islands.
Occasionally, you will see lighter browns as well among your CEs. This is one of the reasons they’re hard to tell apart from the parent breeds. The lack of color consistency can lead to a bit of confusion.
Cherry eggers have a prominent, single comb and wattle. Both are bright red. Roosters will have a larger comb and wattle than the hens. They have long, thick, yellow legs.
CEs tend to look stockier than Rhode Islands, and they should grow at a slightly faster rate than their parent breeds. Cherry egger hens are usually about four and a half to five pounds at maturity, while roosters can reach up to about nine pounds.
They make a much nicer roaster than Rhode Islands, as the stockier build of the CE carries meat better.
Auto-Sexing
Cherry eggers are not generally considered an auto-sexing breed. While some poultry experts claim that both Rhode Island reds and New Hampshire reds have a distinguishing white spot on the wing of male chicks, others claim this is not a consistent marker.
Overall, it sounds like auto-sexing on cherry eggers, using the white wing spot to distinguish males, is only accurate about 85% of the time. That’s definitely less than ideal. But, if you are trying to sex your own chicks, 85% is better than nothing.
Egg Production
As a production breed, cherry eggers lay a lot. These birds can produce around 300 eggs annually. They’re consistent winter layers too. Many CE owners happily report a year-round average of about 7-8 eggs for every ten chickens daily, even in the winter.
Cherry egger eggs are large to extra large, medium brown eggs. The hens rarely go broody. Even when they do, cherry eggers usually lose interest before the eggs are ready to hatch. If you want to hatch cherry egger eggs, find another broody hen or use an incubator.
What About Meat?
Cherry eggers are decent dual-purpose birds. They produce a medium-large, stocker roaster. But the meat is not as tasty as some other dual-purpose birds like barred rocks, for instance.
They’re good for stew or other slow-cooked, flavorful options, but don’t plunk a roasted cherry egger on the table and expect too many compliments. Flavor and texture-wise, this dual-purpose bird is a bit more utilitarian than gourmet.
Personality
It’s hard to get a good idea of the cherry egger personality. There are so many differing opinions. Many hatcheries claim CEs are sweeter and calmer than Rhode Island reds.
Since Rhode Islands are known as temperamental, sometimes even aggressive birds, it’s not hard to find a nicer breed.
But, most of the people who own cherry eggers say that personality-wise, these birds are identical to Rhode Island reds. That means they tend to be independent, assertive, and uninterested in bonding with their owners.
These can be great traits. If you’re just looking for some heavy layers who do their job and don’t mind being left to their own devices, cherry eggers are a great option.
If you have kids who like to tend your chickens, or if you have a coop full of placid, timid birds, cherry eggers may not fit in well. CE roosters, in particular, are less likely to be safe for kids than some of the sweeter-tempered breeds. Proceed with caution.
Foraging
Cherry eggers are active birds. They do well foraging, and they tend to stay close to home. If you have a suburban coop, CEs could be a great fit. They don’t like to wander far, and they’re very quiet birds.
Your neighbors won’t have to listen to a lot of chickens squabbling in your yard with these birds. Instead, they’ll just hear a lot of gentle clucking as your hens scratch around the yard.
They can thrive for much of the year on a primarily foraged diet, with some additional kitchen scraps. But, if you want your hens to lay at a production level, you should supplement with some layer feed as well.
Hardiness
Like Rhode Island reds and New Hampshires, cherry eggers are very winter hardy. They’re able to withstand some pretty harsh winter temperatures and often continue laying throughout the cold months.
Most cherry egger owners say that their birds lay at a slower rate in the winter but usually continue to produce 4-5 eggs for every ten birds per day. That is a pretty impressive laying rate.
You may need to provide some supplemental light or heat to keep your birds laying in the winter, depending on how harsh your winters are. Your birds will also need plenty of quality food to keep their bodies warm and productive.
I’ve found that offering pieces of pumpkin and cracked corn in the evenings helps keep my birds warmer and allows them to focus on laying in the winter instead of just surviving.
Cherry eggers don’t have any breed-specific health issues, but like all chickens, they can fall victim to mites, bumblefoot, and respiratory ailments. Make sure your birds have a clean, warm coop and access to quality food and clean water.
Cherry Egger Overview
This productive layer is all business. Looking like a redder version of the Rhode Island red, cherry eggers are a good, dual-purpose production layer.
CEs are great for chicken owners who want an independent, heavy-laying chicken that will make a meaty stew bird when it’s done laying.
Positives
Cherry eggers can lay around 300 brown eggs each year. They’re some of the most productive layers available. They can even lay throughout the winter with the right care.
CEs are healthy, hardy birds that are low maintenance and easy to keep. They’re active foragers with an independent attitude. That means they don’t need a lot of babysitting from you, which is excellent if you have a lot of predators around.
These are quiet birds who won’t wake the neighbors early in the morning.
Negatives
Cherry eggers aren’t friendly birds. They’re not a great choice if you have children tending your coop. They’re also not the right breed if you want chickens who are friendly and engaged with you.
Watch out for pecking and bullying in the coop if you have cherry eggers. They’re not very friendly with other chickens either. If you have a coop and run without the option for your birds to forage freely, CEs can bully the other birds out of boredom.
Cherry eggers are a dual-purpose bird, but their meat is not particularly good. While they produce plenty of it, the meat tends to be tough and lacking in flavor.