What is the difference between a green egg layer and an olive egger

[bobbieschicks]

One of my 20 week old pullets laid this green colored egg - it was her first

Either came from Smokey or Bandit - but I don't know what breed they are. I do know that the woman who sold them to me breeds olive eggers for sale. Smokey does not have a tail, otherwise she looks very similar to Bandit. They both have pea combs.

Here they both are near my White Leghorn.

Here's Smokey

Here's Bandit

So do I have an olive egger or a breed that lays green eggs? Any guesses on the breed?
Thanks
Bobbie

 

[nicalandia]

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the difference will be on shade of green. my bet would be that the hen with the most intense red comb color is the one laying that egg

 

[Roosterfry]

Easter Eggers lay blue, blue green, light olive, and pinkish. To be considered an Olive Egger is must be a darker olive shade. Haha we need to make an Olive Egger chart like the MaranS french scale lol... Darker egg laying (marans, welsummers,barnvedlers etc.) breed crossed to a blue egg gene carrying breed like, Auracana, Ameraucana, or Easter Egger.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yes a color chart would definitely be helpful

I think that Bandit (tailed, larger red comb) is the one who laid it as well - but Smokey has been nesting lately too. I do hope I can catch one of them in the act or I may never know.

 

[Roosterfry]

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You'll eventually catch her in the act especially if you check on your birds during the day.

 

[Illia]

The term Olive Egger seems to be spreading to anything green but honestly if its parents are a dark brown layer and green/blue layer, it's an Olive Egger. Otherwise it is an Easter Egger. If you don't know the parents, the darker green egg = likely OE. If the bird looks like a typical EE though, chances are she's an EE.



Yours look like Olive Eggers - Some F1's can lay lighter green eggs than expected. It's all about how dark the brown laying parent was.

 

[Roosterfry]

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Is that a plum colored egg on your profile picture? Who laid that???

 

[Illia]

If you're referring to the center egg - Yep. It's an egg from my Wheaten Marans; when you get a dark brown egg with the extra white coating on it, it turns a beautiful plum purple color. I was hoping it would show up in the image, but, not sure how many people realize its color. My Wheaten Marans girls lay these on a regular basis.

 

[Roosterfry]

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So if I want to make a plum colored egg layer could I breed my BC marans rooster over my white leghon hen?

 

[Illia]

No, that would just make a light brown to brown layer.

The white layer on the egg is the same coating you find on some new brown laying pullet eggs; - It's a protective coating that can wash off or turn transparent when wet, and is often why people consider their light brown eggs as "pink." It's usually found in young brown egg layers but can also pop up in certain dark laying hens too.