What color eggs to expect?

[Happy Helper]

I have a Black Australorp rooster and hens that lay blue or olive color eggs. I am thinking about hatching some eggs this Spring from my flock. Any idea what color eggs the hens will lay? It would be nice to have an idea before I hatch these eggs.
Helen

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I have a Black Australorp rooster and hens that lay blue or olive color eggs. I am thinking about hatching some eggs this Spring from my flock. Any idea what color eggs the hens will lay? It would be nice to have an idea before I hatch these eggs.
Helen

It all depends on which egg color genes your hens have. Do you know their breeds?
If they have only one copy of blue and one brown (like the olive egger most likely), then their female offspring will have a 50/50 chance of laying a greenish egg or a brown egg. For your blue egg laying girls, also depends on if they have one or two copies of the blue egg gene. If they have 2 copies, all their female offspring will most likely lay a green tinted egg crossed with the Australorp. If they only have one copy of the blue egg gene, then it will be 50/50 green egg or brown egg.

 

[Happy Helper]

I think they are mostly Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers. I ordered Assorted Rare Breeds and Assorted Rainbow chicks from Meyer Hatchery last Spring. I think most are Easter Eggers and maybe Olive Eggers. I ended mostly with colored eggs and a couple laying white eggs. I did hatch the Australorpe from Meyer Hatchery, hence the Rooster.

 

[Happy Helper]

This is a picture taken a couple months ago.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I think they are mostly Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers. I ordered Assorted Rare Breeds and Assorted Rainbow chicks from Meyer Hatchery last Spring. I think most are Easter Eggers and maybe Olive Eggers. I ended mostly with colored eggs and a couple laying white eggs. I did hatch the Australorpe from Meyer Hatchery, hence the Rooster.

So likely you will get a 50/50 chance of green eggs or brown eggs from the female offspring of the crosses planned. None will be blue, due to the brown egg coloring from the Australorp father.
Good luck!

 

[Happy Helper]

Thanks for the information. I probably will hatch some this spring to raise with the chicks that I have ordered from Meyer to be picked up April 18th.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Hey Helen I hope you get the colored eggs I love them!
Helen B here

 

[Happy Helper]

This coming year I have ordered mostly brown layers: Welsummer, Black Copper Marans, Cuckoo Marans, Barred Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red and White Crested Black Polish. I have pullets that are laying mostly olive eggs and a few blue. I really like the colored eggs but I only have around four brown layers and they are taking the winter off so I want to add the brown layers in this year. I am pretty sure I will get more brown layers too if I hatch some according the information I have received here.
Helen T