Our chickens lay colorful eggs- naturally. During a weekend when some of us are coloring our eggs, I wanted to write a post about chickens that lay naturally colorful eggs.
So, I started with some research: why do some chickens lay different colored eggs? I found some great information at Michigan State University Extension website. Apparently, it’s all about the breed of chicken, and what happens to the egg as it travels through the chicken’s oviduct (the system of organs that produce her eggs).
Though all eggs start out as white eggs, some chickens deposit pigments as the egg travels through her oviduct. If the chicken has an oocyanin pigment, her eggs will be blue. If she has a pigment called protoporphyrin, her eggs will be brown. A green eggs is produced when the egg has both oocyanin and protoporphyrin. The darker the pigment, the brighter the egg will be.
Now that we understand the why, let’s talk about different chickens breeds and their colorful eggs! And, I’ll sprinkle in the colorful eggs that my flock of royal chickens lay.
Naturally Colorful Blue and Green Eggs
Ameraucana Chickens
A few breeds produce blue eggs. Our chicken (named Tikal) is a lavender Ameraucana chicken. She lays a vivid blue eggs. Some Ameraucanas lay lighter blue eggs, but we are lucky that Tikal lays lovely blue eggs.
Araucana Chickens
Araucana chickens have origins in South America. They lay light blue eggs.
Easter Eggers
Easter egger breeds of chickens lay a variety of colored eggs – from a greenish egg, to blue, and some pink! Here is a great article on the differences between Ameraucana, Araucana, and Easter Egger breeds.
Naturally Colorful Brown Eggs
Wyandotte Chickens
Antoinette, our Wyandotte chicken, lays a light, pinkish-brown egg. She is also one of our most consistent egg producers – we expect 5-7 eggs from her each week!
Black Copper Maran Chickens
Black Copper Marans lay a deep brown (like a chocolate color!) egg. They are a french breed and are oh-so-pretty.
Welsummer Chickens
Welsummers are apparently really easy to raise. These beauties lay brown, speckled eggs! They remind me of freckles. Adorable.
Barred Plymouth Rock Chickens
Barred Rocks look like a “country” chicken to me. They have black and white feathers, and lay brown eggs.
Naturally Colorful White Eggs
Polish Chickens
Wilhelmina, our fun-loving Polish chicken, lays a white egg. Polish chickens have delightful personalities and are great to watch in the back yard.
Leghorn Chickens
The Leghorn originated in italy and lays a white egg.
Want to know even more about different chicken breeds? You may want to check out a post by Morning Chores.
Happy egg coloring this weekend!
What naturally colorful egg is your favorite?
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