What breeds for colorful eggs?

[chiks4nena]

I am new to raising chickens and would like to raise chickens which produce a variety of colorful eggs. I currently have 2 SLW hens, 3 buff orpington pullets, polish crested, serama, araucana pullets. Only SLW laying and not consistently. I would like brown, blue, green, and pink colored eggs... what breeds do I need to accomplish this. I really need your help?

 

[EM Squared Farms]

Hi ! I think I can help you with the brown, blue and green eggs. (Pink is a new one to me)

Normally my 12 yr. old son is the chicken expert, but I can speak from what I know.

For brown, if you like the really dark brown (like the color of milk chocolate), go with Marans
If you like the light brown eggs (you can try the Golden Comets/Red-Sex Linked/Cinnamon Queen, they have all sorts of names)
And blue eggs come from Ameraucanas or Araucanas

I did have a standard size Ameraucana that laid kind of olive green eggs.


There are other colors like cream (some are peachier cream, others more off white).

And always the white ones.

Well, good luck. That's all the info I have to offer.

Thanks,

p.s. check out our website if you want to see some pics of the eggs, under some of the breeds (Marans, Ameraucana)

 

[chiks4nena]

Thanks alot. I saw some eggs on one of the post that were pinkish in color and some that were even speckled. I just can't remember the post.

 

[TinyChickenLady]

You might be thinking of tinted eggs. They do look a little pinkish. But I'm not sure who lays them.

 

[discoveregg]

Quote:
Quail have small speckled eggs, maybe that's what you saw?

 

[Stacykins]

Easter Eggers can be a way to get a nice color variety! While they often have the blue egg gene, they can lay any color egg.

Though if you got your araucanas from a hatchery, then they are not araucanas at all! Instead, you have Easter Eggers! It is a deceptive ploy used by hatcheries to advertise Easter Eggers as either Ameraucanas or Araucanas, both established breeds of blue egg layers, while EEs are mutts with no standards and can come with any trait since they are a mish mash. No hatchery actually sells Ameraucana or Araucana, you have to get them from a breeder.

 

[Karen09]

Sometimes very light brown eggs look slightly pinkish. I had a buff orphington's whose egg looked pinkish. Also I know a lady who says she is a breeder and puts Pure-Bred Ameraucana eggs for sale and has gotten $50 a dozen - they are very pretty blue eggs but her flock has come from different hatcheries and when I said my black Ameraucanas came from John Blehm's line, she had no idea who he was (that does not really mean alot but be careful if you are looking for a pure-bred Ameraucana - make sure the breeder really understands what that means). Welsummer chickens lay a darker brown with speckled spots on them. I have some Easter Eggers that lay a nice blue egg, a light green egg and a beautiful olive colored egg. I am hoping that my Welsummer mixed with my Ameraucana lays a cool color egg but alas, the chick is still not ready to come out of the shell (5 more days

) and then I have to wait for it to get old enough, be a hen and lay an egg.

It is going to be a long 5 months.

 

[DMRippy]

My NH pullets are laying a very pretty pinkish egg. I hope that does not change. EE, olive eggers, marans are all very pretty eggs. Real ameraucans lay a very pretty robins egg blue. I am only going to breed the ee that lay blue, so keep in mind all ee don't lay colors, they can lay brown. Keep an eye out for the pea combs when getting ee that is a good indicator of blue/green eggs.

 

[colebarnhart]

I've been on hatchery web sites that advertise "Cherry Eggers" which might have been what you saw, not sure what the breed or which hatchery it was, sorry. Try McMurry, Ideal, MyPetChicken, Meyers, ChickensforBackyards. It sounds like with your existing flock you'll have a pretty good color varity when they all get going.

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
So the pea comb is the key? I'm confused about the EE vs Americauna thing. I have 2 hens that are real close to start laying that were sold to me as EE's, but they look just like the pics I see of true Blue Wheaton Americaunas. I have ordered 8 new chix that were advertised as Americauna, so will they really be EE's.

If I have Rock roo's breed with the EE or Americauna hens what will the offspring be and/or what will be dominant, comb, leg color, egg color?