What chickens lay green eggs?

[jasmer]

My husband and I are looking into replacing our layer flock. Marans are definitely on the list, and we're looking into Amerecaunas as well, though from what I've read many hatcheries advertise "Amerecaunas" that are really just mixed breed "easter eggers" or something? I don't know, we don't want mystery chickens we want something we can sustain and mystery chickens just wouldn't breed true, right?

Which breeds lay green eggs? I've heard Aurecaunas and Amerecaunas can, I've also heard crossing Marans with anything that lays blue eggs can produce green eggs, I find this information quite dubious though.

We want colorful easter eggs for sure, but we're trying to avoid the "mystery grab bag" that "Amerecauna" hatcheries apparently often are. Suggestions?

 

[animallover505]

My husband and I are looking into replacing our layer flock. Marans are definitely on the list, and we're looking into Amerecaunas as well, though from what I've read many hatcheries advertise "Amerecaunas" that are really just mixed breed "easter eggers" or something? I don't know, we don't want mystery chickens we want something we can sustain and mystery chickens just wouldn't breed true, right?

Which breeds lay green eggs? I've heard Aurecaunas and Amerecaunas can, I've also heard crossing Marans with anything that lays blue eggs can produce green eggs, I find this information quite dubious though.

We want colorful easter eggs for sure, but we're trying to avoid the "mystery grab bag" that "Amerecauna" hatcheries apparently often are. Suggestions?

easter eggers aren't "grab bags", they have tufted ears and lay green/blue eggs. Crossing a brown egg layer with a blue egg layer will give you a green egg.

 

[animallover505]

 

[goldfinches]

If you purchase Easter Eggers, you should get a variety of eggs, ranging from light brown/pink to blue to green. Or, you could purchase pure Ameraucana if you want to breed them true. To find them, search the Ameraucana breeders club directory to find a breeder in your area. I don't think you can get one from a hatchery or farm store, even though they advertise that they sell them.

I hatched an olive egger. Her father was a barred rock, they lay brown eggs, her mother was an Easter Egger who lays blue eggs.

 

[jasmer]

Awesome, thanks for the info guys That egg color chart is simply fantastic, I'm going to print it out right now.

Yeah, I don't know if easter eggers will breed consistently enough for us. It was my understanding that hatcheries sell "Easter eggers" and pass them off as Amerecaunas even though they technically aren't since they've been crossed with several other breeds. That just doesn't sound like anything that will breed reliably true and I don't know nearly enough about chicken genetics to want to get into that territory just yet. Definitely going to track down some legit Amerecaunas and some Marans as well.

 

[james hill]

I have 2 EE's that were originally sold as Ameraucanas. One lays a greenish-blue egg, the other greenish-brown. Pretty birds, but no clue as to their real parentage, so they are of little use in a breeding program (except for more EE's!)

 

[jasmer]

We might get into EEs in the next year or so, but right now we just bought 5 acres and are really getting into self sufficiency and sustainability. We want to start off a little easier, taking purebred, predictable stock bred for the traits we want, and then continuing to breed them for what we want. Once we get the hang of all this we'll probably look into EEs as well as some speckled layers just because the eggs are lovely, but yeah, I just can't see them breeding predictably enough, I'd be in way over my head on that one.

 

[animallover505]

I don't know of any hatcheries that you'll get pure Americuanas.

 

[K Epp]

FYI.... Things to check for true Americaunas. Grey/slate black legs, ear muffs and beards even as hatchlings. With that said I have 4 supposedly pure Americanas who should start laying any day now. We will see. Well Summers will give you the pretty speckled eggs. You may already know this, but thought I would put my 2cents in.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, I don't know... I have a lot of EEs in my flock, and I love 'em. What "helps" in my flock is the dominant rooster, an EE who has several daughters laying green eggs, light green eggs, and some light olive green eggs. Some of their moms were Buff Orpington, Barred Rock, light brahma, and some bantam hens too.

I was pleased to hatch or buy some white or mostly white EE pullets, which I think are absolutely adorable. (The "partridge" looking colors of so many EE hens are kinda plain jane...)

And who can resist the fuzzy cheeks??? Not I!