Talk To Me About Breeds Laying Blue Eggs

[Sonflowerjoela]

I wouldnt get ameraucanas mine took 40 weeks to lay a silkie sized egg wasn't worth it not sure about clb, but anything mixed with ameraucanas take forever to lay

Now I feel like I’ll never get Eggs. Mine are 7 months old now.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

shell color makes absolutely no difference to the quality of the egg. why are you concerned with this?

Because some people like blue egg shells.

OP is wanting breeds that lay a different color so she can tell those eggs apart from her breeding project, something she already explained on the first page.

My end-goal is a breeding flock of Blue Australorps, a little project flock of Silver-Laced Australorp(ish) birds, some white layers, some blue layers, and some dark brown layers (Alas, I can't get the feather-footed French Cuckoo Marans from Ideal anymore, they only have clean-legged Cuckoo Marans).

With the exception of my son's pet Cochin, I don't want any brown layers except for the Australorps.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

what you feed them is far more important

What they feed and is its good enough isn't their concern with this post.

 

[3KillerBs]

shell color makes absolutely no difference to the quality of the egg. why are you concerned with this?

A. I am working towards egg sales and a colorful egg carton sells better.

B. For keeping my breeds separate for hatching purebred Australorps.

C. Personal preference -- which is what all backyard chicken things boil down to because, after all, we can't in any way compete with the commercial egg farmers.

 

[MountainMarans2012]

My end-goal is a breeding flock of Blue Australorps, a little project flock of Silver-Laced Australorp(ish) birds, some white layers, some blue layers, and some dark brown layers (Alas, I can't get the feather-footed French Cuckoo Marans from Ideal anymore, they only have clean-legged Cuckoo Marans).

With the exception of my son's pet Cochin, I don't want any brown layers except for the Australorps.

What you describe in your project is a breed created by Martin Silverudd now called Silverudds Blue formerly called Isbars believe he had Australorps on his farm and is believed he used them in the creation.
You might try getting some SB stock and cross with your best Blue Australorp layers.
I have and they lay even better.
They come in BBS lay Blue to Moss speckled eggs the black and blue roosters have Silver hackles.
Greenfire Farms importer these in 2011 and 2013
https://greenfirefarms.com/Silveruddsblue.html

 

[3KillerBs]

What you describe in your project is a breed created by Martin Silverudd now called Silverudds Blue formerly called Isbars believe he had Australorps on his farm and is believed he used them in the creation.
You might try getting some SB stock and cross with your best Blue Australorp layers.
I have and they lay even better.
They come in BBS lay Blue to Moss speckled eggs the black and blue roosters have Silver hackles.
Greenfire Farms importer these in 2011 and 2013
https://greenfirefarms.com/Silveruddsblue.html

I think you're mixing two things I've said.

I'm wanting to add some blue egg layers to my flock, but my project is to get something close to an Australorp, including the brown eggs, but with the silver-laced color pattern.

 

[HensInTheForest]

We bought 3 PBB as chicks last spring we got an assortments of colors.
1 failure to thrive, other 2 started laying at week 23. I don’t track but we were getting 4 a week I would say easily from each one Because of how I pack my cartons and arrange the colors.

Ours are black and smaller birds, but the eggs are good size. Same size as my leghorn eggs. Nice color to the eggs I was abit concerned they may have a deficiency they always gorge oyster shell and guard it. Attacking others in the way for it. I put out multiple containers and that helped.

They laid solid til the cold snap around Christmas, then took a break. One is molting around the neck, the other one started laying again a few days ago.

They are skittish very agile birds.

I am looking for WTB to add too but McMurray says not available this year maybe that will change Says working on their flock. Trying to source local.

In my search I found and breeder of Splash Ameraucanas near me and spoke with her. She is small scale but her flock is very sweet, even the 2 roosters are docile with her and get along. Her eggs look abit deeper in blue than mine which are a light powder blue. So for personality and a bluer color I was trying to find an alternative to the PBB.

Good luck with what you decide!

 

[paintedChix]

I never really tracked my egg layers or if I did before, the records are on a computer that crashed... I had several hatchery stock EEs (purchased from TSC in late 2011) that started laying in spring 2012. Quickly went from pullet eggs to extra lrg eggs - various shades of blue. In the fall, they became lighter in color & the occasional eggs thru 1st winter bordered white w/ blue tint. Took a break about 60 days, started laying blue again. But those EE girls were all shades of red & buff.
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If you check out the Ameraucana breed websites (2 of them), there are breeders w/ stock in varieties (& here in NC) other than red (unless some one has introduced red, not an Ameraucana variety). The colors are BBS, Black, Brown Red, Buff, Silver (looks similar to CLBs), White, Wheaten & Blue Wheaton. Not sure Lavender is recognized yet - they were working on it. I'm a member of both clubs, but haven't had good stock since 2019/early 2020 when I disbursed or processed most of my small flocks due to out of state family issues. Some of the birds I had were from Smith lines, some from other lines. All did well here in the heat - except for a black & a splash roo who decided to fight. They both died , minor injuries but sure they had heat stroke. The blue & splash girls laid pretty blue eggs, not real dark/bright but EXTRA large. One trio of lavenders I had, also laid extra large eggs - started in December & laid consistently through March when i sold them.

I'm very excited to get Splash Ameraucana & Silver Ameraucana this year. Will also be getting blue/black & maybe Lavender as well.
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CLBs - hmmm. So much difference & so much controversy (just like the Amerauracana). Different imports from GFF, different laying ages, different colors of eggs (vastly different shades). Varieties (colors) - cream, crele, white (breed accepted/recognized). Projects - Blue, opal (lavender -cream based), Isabella (lavender - crele based), "pumpkin" (they are "orange" - I want!!)... My 1st stock were 1 generation removed from GFF stock (but not from the original imports since I purchased in 2018). Had Cream & Crele w/ some over melanized girls (lots of black in coloring). Took forever to lay! But pretty & again, large eggs. Some were much brighter/darker eggs but I didn't hatch any chicks before selling.

I have some now. Have no idea which import lines they are from. Just started laying, not consistent yet & medium size eggs. Much lighter blue than I want, will go white as season progresses. From 2 different breeders here in NC. When they become consistent, i hope to be hatching eggs.
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I am not familiar with the "new" blue egg laying types from hatcheries - Whiting true blues or greens, prairie blue eggers & there are others now, too.
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I plan on crossing some Ameraucana w/ CLB to hopefully get a pretty, blue egg laying EE eventually.

 

[The Birb King]

I would recommend Ameraucanas. They have great personalities, they come in several really pretty colors, and they lay really pretty true blue eggs. They are one of my favorite breeds I love their fluffy faces!