Chicken Breeds and Egg Colors

[Birdragon]

So I have a flock of seven hens: an RIR (Rene), a Gold laced Wyandotte (Flow), a Silver laced Wyandotte (Minerva), an EE (Gryphon), a Cuckoo Marans (Persephone), a tiny mystery breed that looks like an ee/bantam welsummer, (Olive), and a Buff Orpington (Carmella). Olive, Flow, Minerva, and Rene are older and may or may not be laying, while the other three hatched last summer and just started. I have been getting four eggs a day consistently for almost a week. I know that Gryphon lays green eggs, Olive lays tiny white/beige eggs, Persephone lays dark brown eggs, and I have no idea what color the others lay. Alternately I have been getting a cream colored egg which I presume to be Carmella's, but I don't know, and another green egg. I have no idea who the other green egg is coming from. It is a different green than what Gryphon lays, and I thought the other chickens who could have laid it were supposed to lay brownish eggs! I don't know what's going on!

 

[CayleeMarie03]

Theres just probably a little bit of EE in one of the other breeds. Are you sure Olive lays white/beige eggs?

 

[Birdragon]

Pretty certain, yes. But can a chicken have just enough of another breed in it to lay different colored eggs but look the same?

 

[my sunwolf]

Pretty certain, yes. But can a chicken have just enough of another breed in it to lay different colored eggs but look the same?

Yep, especially the green eggs. The blue egg gene is dominant so when crossed to a brown egg laying breed will often produce pullets that lay green eggs. Hence, one of your girls could be part Easter Egger. However, Olive really looks like she's the one laying the green eggs... it's hard to say.

 

[ramirezframing]

pics of these birds would help to point to your other green egg layer

 

[Birdragon]

From left to right:Carmella, Olive, Minerva, and Persephone. The one in the back that's barely visible is Rene. Gryphon and Flow are not in the picture.

 

[ramirezframing]

well I dont think Olive is laying the green eggs, like you said she looks to be a game type hen so white to cream eggs

your green egg layer should have a pea comb and from this picture I cant see anyones comb really pretty girls

 

[NosiphoChooks]

Wow Olive's tail is so cool!

 

[popsicle]

The green egg gene is often associated with a pea comb--how many of your birds have a pea comb?

The chart on this site is helpful for deciding who might lay what color eggs:
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

I've found my Wyandottes lay fairly light brown eggs. So does my Production Red "New Hampshire"--though my Production Red "Rhode Island Red" lays a bit darker.

 

[Birdragon]

Thanks! I know, isn't her tail gorgeous? I will get back to you on the pea comb thing tomorrow. I think several have them.