I want some more color variety in my eggs. Any suggestions?

[HeatherLynn]

Ok so right now I have nothing super special. I do have 2 EE who have not laid yet so still no color for me. I have BR, production reds, Austrolops, BO, Brown leghorn, and SLW. Ok so I really only get 2 colors of eggs. I get one that is either a really light pinkish brown or its a dirty pink and brown. I want color. I would love some that lay really really dark eggs. I think I want more EE although I have never got one that has laid or crowed so not sure what I am doing wrong. What other breeds might I add to my motley crew of hens.

 

[4boysmom]

My Welsummer girls lay beautiful dark brown and dark brown/spotted eggs. Marans ( several different varieties ) lay even darker chocolatey eggs. Wynette has some Olive Egger eggs on auction right now - beautiful eggs too.

 

[swordgeek]

With my first round of birds, I chose my breeds based on what was interesting and scarce. A nice but unexpected result of this was that each one laid a different size and shade of egg. The buttercup (RIP Bandit) laid cream-colored bullet-shaped eggs. The crevecoeur lays oblong white eggs that are a lot larger than I would expect from her body size. The cochin lays good-sized light-brown eggs. The red cap lays cream-colored eggs (and if I'd known what a mean thing she'd become, I never would have chosen that breed!). Nothing spectacular, but hey, I could tell who laid what just by the egg. I have yet to see an egg that even remotely resembles a store-bought egg. When I make eggs from breakfast, each kid calls out whose egg she wants that day: "I want a fried Hawkie!" or "I want two Sunny eggs, over easy!" or "A Blackie and a Sunny, cheesy scrambled!"

When I got my recent little batch of pullets, I chose them mostly for egg color. Eventually, they'll all be laying. The cuckoo marans will lay those gorgeous dark-reddish-brown eggs, and the Ameraucanas will lay the coveted blue/green. I have no idea what color to expect from my silkie bantam - I just know they'll be really small.

If you're thinking of expanding your flock to get more interesting egg colors, you might consider going in on an order of chicks with someone else. You'll get the breeds you want, and not have to invest in a couple dozen birds all at once. When I first did that, it was really helpful to print out pictures of what the chicks looked like so we knew who was getting which breed right up front.

 

[newTexan2chickens]

Laying right now I have 2 BR, 2 French Black Copper Marans and 2 mix chickens. I have 6 more mixed chicks that should start laying soon.... probably blue, green or brown eggs, and 4 BO that won't be laying for a long time. The really dark egg is the FBCM egg. I am hoping for a nice colorful basket too. Last night mom asked me how many eggs I got and I told her 2 FBCM... and she asked how I knew which ones laid the eggs. LOL!

I have heard that not all Marans lay as dark so you need to check with who is selling you the birds. I almost bought some cuckoos but they were from a hatchery and I was told their eggs are not as dark as the FBCM.... though some cuckoos do lay very dark eggs.

 

[bald k9]

here is a pic of my EE's eggs blues and greens

 

[Happy Chooks]

Wellie Eggs, center:

My first BCM egg, they have gotten darker since. (These are not from Wynette's flock, but hers are really dark

)

And now I have blue from pure Ameraucana's, BCM egg in the back:

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

When your EEs start laying, you'll be so excited! I just love the shades of blue that I get from my girls. And olive eggers are a must! I don't think any of the hatcheries have them, but several of us here on BYC do. In addition to those mentioned above, I've got some eggs on auction, too:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=370452

I also have a few chicks that I could probably ship out soon - PM me if you're interested.

Marans are GREAT for nice dark eggs. They do have a tendency to go broody, though, which depending on your preference is good or bad! One of my best broodies is a Cuckoo Marans hen.

I would guess that the Penedesenca's are less broody being a Mediterranean breed, but I don't have any myself.

No one's mentioned this, but white is also an egg color! Some Polish and many of the Mediterranean breeds are very good layers of white eggs.