Olive colored eggs?

[wawasmama]

I've recently seen various things about olive colored eggs. One thing I heard was that it's a cross between Marans (dark brown egg layers) and Aracanas (greenish-blue egg layers). I just hatched out both breeds and am looking forward to some funky colored eggs. The only problem is that the only way to get olive colored eggs is if the two breeds breed, and the eggs will likely be fertile. If one does hatch out, will that off-spring lay olive eggs? Does anyone have an experience with this?

 

[chickenman98]

I think you are supposed to breed a dark brown egg layer with a green-blue egg layer, and then breed their chicks back to the dark brown egg layer.

 

[Knittycat]

Crossing two breeds doesn't generally result in infertile eggs or offspring like crossing two species will. It's like crossing a maltese dog with a poodle to get a malti-poo. It's still a dog, it's still going to be able to have offspring. Whereas if you cross a horse and a donkey (two different species) you'll get a sterile mule.
In fact the first generation after the brown/blue cross usually lays a light olive, and people will cross light olive with another dark brown to get darker olive eggs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yes, you breed a dark laying breed with a blue laying breed and you will get olive eggers. Then to darken, you breed the offspring back to the dark laying breed.

Dark egg breeds:
Marans
Penedesenca
Welsummer

Blue egg breeds:
Ameraucana
Araucana
Some people use EE's as well

More about them here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=131131&p=1

 

[wawasmama]

I just hatched out 10 Copper and Black Marans and 3 Aracana chicks. We'll see what comes of it when they're old enough to have fun and start laying! Thanks for your help!