Egg colour

[jc_d1]

Hi All I was wondering what everyone finds to be the best breeds for different colour eggs? I want birds that are docile, hardy, and good foragers. I'm new to poultry keeping and am learning as I go but I've read you can get white, brown, blue, green, pink, and grey eggs.

Also do ducks lay different coloured eggs to?

Thanks I look forward to your responses.

 

[daxigait]

Hi All I was wondering what everyone finds to be the best breeds for different colour eggs? I want birds that are docile, hardy, and good foragers. I'm new to poultry keeping and am learning as I go but I've read you can get white, brown, blue, green, pink, and grey eggs.

Also do ducks lay different coloured eggs to?

Thanks I look forward to your responses.

That is quite a list. Where are you/what are your temperature extremes? Do you want all kinds of colors? Do you want a single breed? How many do you plan to start with (before chicken math sets in), what size coop and conditions do you have, and do you want them to free-range, broody or not?

Lots of different opinion on this. As to ducks I think so. @Ducklady225

 

[jc_d1]

I've approx 100sq ft coop I think and a fenced in run. We're in a hardiness zone 5 (average 16 -to 82F/ -9 to 28C but those are just averages). I'd like to have 1 layer per egg colour to start..so I guess 6 hens + a rooster. I also have muscovies.

 

[daxigait]

Alotof people like Easter eggs for a variety of egg colors, and they are easy to get from breeders. They are friendly and forage ok while handling Missouri's extreems in weather.
They are essentially an Ameruacana cock for the blue gene over another breed (pures are not as friendly). I got a pair of Americuana from a good breeder and a variety of different breeds of hens to put him over for my first generation and I have Penadasenca cock that lays a very dark egg for the second generation. You're supposed to be a great forger and very Predator savvy, but not as friendly I am hoping the cross works.
The Ameraucana gave me the blue to put over white, green, blue, light and dark brown layers. This gave me blue, green, tan, and brown eggs.Then he gives me dark brown to get dark brown and olive eggers.

 

[daxigait]

Well, the most common during carrier of course is the Ameruacana and then kind of a blue-green in the crested cream legbar. @duluthralphie has blue layers of some kind.

 

[daxigait]

Green is usually an olive Egger or a regular Easter Egger, the best dark Browns come from BCM or Panadesenca though they're not as friendly.

 

[daxigait]

There are options in hen breeds, but those are the common ones. I started with brown and white leghorns is a a couple of Easter Eggers that were green egg layers already a couple of crusted creamy legbars and production Reds covered by that rooster. The leghorns are flighty the Rhode Island Reds I much prefer my Heritage Birds they are a hundred percent more friendly so if you have someone who has Heritage Rhode Island Reds nearby they make a great base for your brown egg layer or the ISA which is very friendly too.
The Swedish flower hens I have been told are fun to cross in
Well, enough for me there are people with more experience in better opinions out there I know.

 

[jc_d1]

Easter eggers do sound like nice birds. I've heard people with them changing lay colour though and I want the hens to lay different colours so I can monitor who's laying what easily (and get pretty eggs ). Also easter eggers don't breed true do they? I was thinking if I get a white egg breed roo and a lady for each colour I'll continue to get chicks of those colours. ie: if I hatch a pink and a blue egg I'll get a pink layer and a blue layer..

 

[duluthralphie]

My Blue layers are Legbars. I have only been hatching the bluest of the eggs for years and I seldom have one that has any green in it anymore.

BTW I love my Legbars, both colors!

I also have a duck green egg, like a duck egg, I get it from my Chanticler/EE crosses. My EE roosters have the blue egg genes.

 

[jc_d1]

I've heard isbars are the only true breed that lay green eggs? I'm not sure how hard they are to find :/ and I can't find any good info on pink layers..one site mentioned croad langshans I think it was but I'm not sure if that's right