Ever opened your nesting boxes hoping to find a rainbow of colorful eggs instead of just boring white and brown ones? I’ve been there! As a backyard chicken enthusiast, discovering breeds that lay blue, green, pink, and chocolate brown eggs has been an exciting journey.
In this article I’ll share everything you need to know about chickens that lay colored eggs – from the most popular breeds to how egg coloration works. Whether you’re looking to add some variety to your egg basket or just curious about these special birds you’re in the right place!
How Do Chickens Lay Different Colored Eggs?
Before diving into specific breeds, let’s understand how egg colors actually work. Despite what many people think, egg color isn’t affected by what you feed your chickens – it’s all about genetics!
Each chicken can only lay one egg color throughout its life. This color is determined by the breed’s genetic makeup and cannot be changed by diet, age, or environment (though stress can sometimes affect color intensity).
The egg coloration process is fascinating:
- All eggs actually start out white in the chicken’s body
- It takes about 26 hours to form an egg inside a chicken
- The eggshell formation takes approximately 20 hours
- Pigmentation of the shell takes roughly 5 additional hours
- Blue eggs get their color from the oocyan gene, which is actually a mutation
- Brown eggs get their color from a pigment called protoporphyrin IX
- Green eggs result from blue pigment on the inside and brown pigment on the outside
There’s even a trick to predict egg color look at your chicken’s earlobes! Generally chickens with white earlobes produce white eggs while those with red earlobes lay brown eggs. However, this isn’t foolproof – Silkies have blue earlobes but lay white eggs!
Top Chicken Breeds That Lay Colored Eggs
Blue Egg Layers
1. Araucana
- Origin: Chile
- Egg Color: Blue (pale blue to vibrant blue)
- Egg Production: 150-180 eggs per year
- Temperament: Friendly, inquisitive, smart
- Appearance: Rumpless (no tail), ear tufts
- Notes: Quite rare in the US; they carry a lethal gene that can kill chicks before hatching
2. Ameraucana
- Origin: United States
- Egg Color: Blue
- Egg Production: 150-250 eggs per year
- Temperament: Docile, friendly, calm
- Appearance: Muffs and beard, pea comb
- Notes: Often confused with Araucanas but are a separate breed
3. Cream Legbar
- Origin: United Kingdom
- Egg Color: Blue
- Egg Production: 150-200 eggs per year
- Temperament: Active, curious, flighty
- Appearance: Crested head, autosexing (males and females look different at birth)
- Notes: Almost went extinct in the 1970s but made a comeback
4. Whiting True Blue
- Origin: Colorado, USA
- Egg Color: Blue
- Egg Production: 280-300 eggs per year
- Temperament: Energetic, independent, non-aggressive
- Appearance: Various color varieties including Blue Wheaten, Black, Silver Blue
- Notes: Created by crossbreeding White Leghorns and Ameraucanas
Green Egg Layers
1. Olive Egger
- Origin: Mixed breed
- Egg Color: Green, olive
- Egg Production: 150-200 eggs per year
- Temperament: Mellow, amicable, sassy, chatty
- Appearance: Varies widely due to mixed genetics
- Notes: Created by crossing blue egg layers with dark brown egg layers
2. Easter Egger
- Origin: Mixed breed
- Egg Color: Blue, green, light brown, pink (varies by individual hen)
- Egg Production: 200-280 eggs per year
- Temperament: Affectionate, curious, gentle
- Appearance: Wide variety of colors and features
- Notes: Not a recognized breed but very popular for colorful eggs
3. Ice Cream Bar
- Origin: Mixed breed (Swedish Isbar and Cream Legbar)
- Egg Color: Green, Tiffany blue
- Egg Production: 150-200 eggs per year
- Temperament: Curious, intelligent, flighty
- Appearance: Varies
- Notes: A relatively new crossbreed
4. Starlight Green Egger
- Origin: Developed by Hoover’s Hatchery
- Egg Color: Light green to dark green
- Egg Production: 200-280 eggs per year
- Temperament: Easygoing, docile, mellow
- Appearance: No two look exactly alike
- Notes: Quieter than most chicken breeds
Chocolate Brown and Dark Egg Layers
1. Marans
- Origin: France
- Egg Color: Dark brown (sometimes with reddish or purple tint)
- Egg Production: 150-200 eggs per year
- Temperament: Gentle, docile, friendly, calm
- Appearance: Various colors including black copper, white, cuckoo
- Notes: Lays some of the darkest eggs in the chicken world
2. Welsummer
- Origin: Netherlands
- Egg Color: Dark brown, terracotta, sometimes speckled
- Egg Production: 160-180 eggs per year
- Temperament: Extremely calm, intelligent, easy to handle
- Appearance: Combination of dark and light brown feathers
- Notes: Their eggs are often mistaken for being purple or reddish
3. Barnevelder
- Origin: Netherlands
- Egg Color: Dark brown, sometimes speckled
- Egg Production: 170-200 eggs per year
- Temperament: Lively, inquisitive, friendly
- Appearance: Double-laced feathering
- Notes: Their eggs are popular with bakers for their richness
4. Penedesenca
- Origin: Spain (Catalonia region)
- Egg Color: Dark reddish-brown
- Egg Production: 200-300 eggs per year
- Temperament: Active, skittish, alert
- Appearance: Distinctive “carnation comb”
- Notes: Excellent layers but can be flighty
Pink and Cream Egg Layers
1. Sussex
- Origin: England
- Egg Color: Light brown, cream, pink
- Egg Production: 200-250 eggs per year
- Temperament: Alert, docile, adaptable
- Appearance: Short beaks, single combs, wide chests
- Notes: Over 200 years of history as a breed
2. Salmon Faverolle
- Origin: France
- Egg Color: Light brown, pink-tinted
- Egg Production: 150-200 eggs per year
- Temperament: Curious, cheerful, quirky
- Appearance: Beards, muffs, and feathered feet
- Notes: Start laying early at 18-20 weeks of age
3. Orpington
- Origin: England
- Egg Color: Light brown, pink-tinted
- Egg Production: 200-280 eggs per year
- Temperament: Sweet-natured, incredibly social
- Appearance: Large, fluffy appearance in various colors
- Notes: Known as excellent mothers and winter layers
Common Questions About Colored Eggs
Do Colored Eggs Taste Different?
Nope! Despite their beautiful shells, colored eggs taste exactly the same as regular white or brown eggs. The egg’s taste depends on the hen’s diet and health, not the color of the shell. So unfortunately, chocolate-brown eggs don’t taste like chocolate!
Which Chickens Lay Purple Eggs?
Here’s the truth – no chicken naturally lays truly purple eggs. What appears purple is actually a dark brown egg with a thick bloom (protective coating) that gives it a purplish appearance. Once washed, you’ll see the egg’s true dark brown color.
Chickens whose eggs might appear purplish include:
- Marans
- Welsummer
- Croad Langshan
- Some Easter Eggers
What’s the Rarest Egg Color?
Green eggs are considered among the rarest colors in the chicken world. They result from specific breeding combinations where blue egg genes mix with brown egg genes.
Can One Chicken Lay Different Colored Eggs?
No, a single hen can only lay one color of egg throughout her life. While the intensity might slightly vary with age or stress, the basic color remains the same. If you want a rainbow basket, you’ll need multiple breeds!
Tips for Raising Colorful Egg Layers
If you’re thinking about adding these special breeds to your flock, here are some tips:
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Research thoroughly – Make sure you know what to expect from each breed in terms of temperament and egg production, not just color.
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Consider climate adaptability – Some breeds like Cream Legbars do better in certain climates than others.
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Provide proper nutrition – A balanced diet with about 20% protein and additional calcium is crucial for vibrant egg colors.
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Reduce stress – Stressed hens may lay eggs with weaker shells or lighter colors.
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Expect color variations – The same breed might lay slightly different shades between individual birds.
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Be patient – Young hens often lay lighter-colored eggs that darken as they mature.
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Don’t wash eggs if you plan to hatch them – The bloom that sometimes makes eggs look purplish is essential for protecting the developing chick.
Are Colored Eggs Worth It?
This is entirely up to you! Most colored egg layers don’t produce as many eggs as champion layers like White Leghorns. You’ll be sacrificing some quantity for the aesthetic appeal.
However, the joy of collecting a basket of blue, green, chocolate brown, and cream-colored eggs is pretty amazing. Plus, if you sell eggs at farmers markets, colored eggs often command premium prices and attract curious customers!
In my experience, seeing my kids’ faces light up when collecting colorful eggs makes it totally worth it. My Olive Eggers and Easter Eggers have become the stars of my backyard flock, even if they don’t quite match my Rhode Island Reds in production.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a seasoned chicken keeper or just starting out, adding some colorful egg layers to your flock can bring a whole new dimension to your egg-collecting experience. From the blue eggs of Araucanas to the deep chocolate browns of Marans, these special chickens offer both beauty and function.
Remember that while genetics determine egg color, proper care ensures the brightest, most vibrant shells. With the right breeds and good management, your egg basket can truly become a work of art!
What breeds of chickens lay a colorful rainbow of eggs?
There are very specific chicken breeds that lay the different colored eggs for a rainbow of eggs. I highly recommend this Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds book, it has been SO helpful for us in our journey to cultivate our flocks! I’m going to break the rainbow of colorful chicken eggs down into each specific color and which breeds lay that color of egg.
What chickens lay cream colored eggs?
Wyandottes are the most common chickens that lay a cream colored egg. We currently have two Blue Laced Red Wyandotte hens, one who even lays a pretty pink hued cream colored egg. We’ve also raised black laced Wyandottes and a golden laced Wyandotte.
Our main egg layers of cream colored eggs are our unique Swedish Flower hens. They lay a medium size cream colored egg.
Silkie chickens also lay cream colored eggs, although this is not a breed we have experience with since we prefer larger dual purpose sized chickens.