Easter Egger and Olive Egger confusion

[redinator]

This a question I assumed I'd figure out through contexts in threads, but I haven't yet. Feel free to correct me since most of what I'm saying is speculation or conclusions I've drawn based on threads I've read.

What's the difference between an Easter Egger and an Olive Egger? I pretty sure an Easter Egger is a mixed breed that lays colored eggs (including green) and I think an Olive Egger is a mixed breed that only lays green eggs.

In most threads I've seen where the chick/chicken is determined to be an Olive Egger the chick/chicken has been black, or mostly black in many cases. The chicks/chickens determined to be Easter Eggers seem to be any color or pattern other than black or mostly black. Are Olive Eggers always black or mostly black? If an Easter Egger lays green eggs is it then determined to be an Olive Egger, or is it still an Easter Egger because it isn't black? Are there other traits that an Olive Egger has that I'm not picking up on?

 

[nuthatched]

Olive eggers are a type of Easter eggers.
Most olive eggers are black because they typically use marans in the lineage. .
You can cross an ee with a brown egg are call the chicks olive eggers

 

[redinator]

Olive eggers are a type of Easter eggers.
Most olive eggers are black because they typically use marans in the lineage. .
You can cross an ee with a brown egg are call the chicks olive eggers

Ok that makes sense. Here's another 'I should have this figured out by now' question . . . It's one of those question others are probably wondering, but they don't want to ask the 'dumb' question, lol.

When it's said that Easter Eggers lay 'colored' eggs is brown considered a 'colored' egg or should Easter Eggers lay eggs that are anything other than brown or white?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

When it's said that Easter Eggers lay 'colored' eggs is brown considered a 'colored' egg or should Easter Eggers lay eggs that are anything other than brown or white?

NOT a dumb question! I always assumed it meant any color other than brown or white, but I could be wrong. They can lay shades of brown, like pink. Ish. . . I think.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

It locked up on me, so I'm continuing in a separate post.

I believe EE's can lay shades of green as well as blue, but OE's lay a deeper, darker shade of green that is more like a true olive or "Army" green, not a light or mint green. It should be obvious (I think) that an OE lays an egg with a definite brown coating over a green egg. One of the hen's parents (again, according to my understanding) should be a brown egg layer. BUT ... I could be wrong about any or all of this. A chicken geneticist I am NOT, lol.

So go ahead, BYC. Tell me where I am wrong!

 

[redinator]

It locked up on me, so I'm continuing in a separate post.

I believe EE's can lay shades of green as well as blue, but OE's lay a deeper, darker shade of green that is more like a true olive or "Army" green, not a light or mint green. It should be obvious (I think) that an OE lays an egg with a definite brown coating over a green egg. One of the hen's parents (again, according to my understanding) should be a brown egg layer. BUT ... I could be wrong about any or all of this. A chicken geneticist I am NOT, lol.

So go ahead, BYC. Tell me where I am wrong!

I asked because I have what is supposed to an Easter Egger pullet and a black BYM pullet, possibly OE (?). Neither has laid yet since they're only 12 weeks, but the wait is driving me bonkers, lol. If my black BYM pullet lays green eggs then she's an Olive Egger? That would just be way too lucky with my first batch of BYM hatching eggs. I'm trying not to count the eggs and all that, but

 

[BigBlueHen53]

my black BYM pullet lays green eggs then she's an Olive Egger?

Not necessarily. It depends what color she lays. Not all green-laying birds are OEs, I don't think. Olive eggs are considerably darker than EE green eggs. Can you post a picture of her? Some of our Breed ID Experts might be able to help out even before she lays an egg.

And I'm off to bed. Too many typos!

 

[redinator]

Not necessarily. It depends what color she lays. Not all green-laying birds are OEs, I don't think. Olive eggs are considerably darker than EE green eggs. Can you post a picture of her? Some of our Breed ID Experts might be able to help out even before she lays an egg.

And I'm off to bed. Too many typos!

I'll get pictures tomorrow and update my previous Breed/ID post. Now that they're 4 weeks older than the last time I might get better guesses.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Olive eggers are a type of Easter eggers.
Most olive eggers are black because they typically use marans in the lineage. .
You can cross an ee with a brown egg are call the chicks olive eggers

I have an Olive Egger pullet who is a bright reddish orange, not black; where do you think she might have gotten her coloring? I got her from a farm store.
Here she is:

 

[nuthatched]

Ok that makes sense. Here's another 'I should have this figured out by now' question . . . It's one of those question others are probably wondering, but they don't want to ask the 'dumb' question, lol.

When it's said that Easter Eggers lay 'colored' eggs is brown considered a 'colored' egg or should Easter Eggers lay eggs that are anything other than brown or white?

Colored usually means pastel. Freen, blue, pink, there's even a south American breed that lays an orange egg. So yeah, any color other than white brown, tan.