Chicken Breeds That Lay Blue Eggs
Did you know that certain chicken breeds can lay blue eggs? I didn’t, and I find it quite magical. Not only are the blue eggs special, but so are the chickens that lay them. If you’re raising a backyard flock or thinking about starting one, adding chickens that lay blue eggs is a fun way to bring variety and a pop of color to your egg cartons. Several breeds are known for producing these stunning blue eggs, and the secret behind their color lies in both genetics and the chicken’s biology.
What Determines Egg Color?
The color of a chicken’s eggs is primarily determined by its breed. All eggs start as white inside the hen’s reproductive system. The color is added during the egg formation process, specifically in the hen’s oviduct. For blue eggs, a pigment called biliverdin is deposited early in the egg formation, coloring the entire shell, both inside and out. In contrast, brown egg-laying breeds deposit their pigment later in the process, leaving the inside of the shell white while the outside appears brown.
Additionally, eggshells are made mostly of calcium carbonate, which is naturally white. The blue egg gene found in certain breeds alters the typical egg color by mixing biliverdin with calcium carbonate, creating a unique blue hue.
Chicken Breeds That Lay Blue Eggs
Here are some well-known chicken breeds that lay blue eggs.
Ameraucana Chickens
A popular breed in the United States, these chickens are known for their friendly disposition and beautiful blue eggs. They were originally developed from Araucana chickens, another blue egg-laying breed from South America. Ameraucanas have become a favorite among backyard chicken enthusiasts due to their consistent egg production and striking eggs.
Araucana Chickens
One of the oldest blue egg-laying breeds, Araucanas are believed to have originated in Chile. They are famous for their unique appearance, often sporting tufted feathers near their ears and a lack of tail feathers. These rare breeds are prized for their ability to lay eggs with a vibrant blue shell.
Cream Legbars
A breed from Great Britain, the Cream Legbar is another excellent blue egg layer, resulting from careful selective breeding to produce beautiful blue eggs and a gentle temperament. They are considered a good choice for backyard flocks due to their egg-laying capacity and friendly nature. When I first learned about this breed, I quickly added two to my flock and they are some of the friendliest and sweetest in my flock. To learn more about this sweet breed, check out this article.
Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers
In addition to true blue egg-laying breeds, there are Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers. These birds can lay eggs in a variety of colors, from blue to green and even pink! Easter Egger chickens are hybrids that carry the blue egg gene, but due to crossbreeding with brown or white egg layers, they produce eggs in different shades, including blue, green, and sometimes even olive.
Olive Eggers, a cross between a blue egg-laying breed and a brown egg-laying breed, lay eggs with a beautiful olive-green shell. The brown pigment mixes with the blue base color to create this stunning effect.
Lushi Chicken
The Lushi Chicken is another lesser-known breed that originated in China. While it’s not as common in backyard flocks as breeds like Ameraucanas or Araucanas, Lushi Chickens are notable for laying light blue to greenish-blue eggs. They are typically found in local Chinese farming rather than in the United States or Europe.
Prarie Blue Bell Egger
The Prairie Bluebell Egger is a hybrid chicken breed known for laying beautiful blue eggs. This breed was developed by crossing a white egg layer (like a Leghorn) with a brown egg layer that carries the blue egg gene like an Ameraucana or a Cream Legbar. The goal of this crossbreeding is to create a chicken that is a prolific layer of vibrant blue eggs, while also being hardy and easy to manage. They can have a variety of plumage colors, from blue or gray to white or brown, and they may or may not have beards or muffs, depending on the parent breeds.
Whiting True Blue
These birds were developed by Dr. Tom Whiting, who focused on creating a chicken that lays consistently blue eggs while having excellent egg production. They are perfect for chicken keepers looking to add both a reliable egg layer and a unique color to their egg cartons. These chickens come in a variety of feather colors and patterns. Unlike breeds like Ameraucana, which have specific breed standards, Whiting True Blues can vary widely in appearance but consistently lay blue eggs. These chickens are sold exclusively by Murray McMurry Hatchery.
Why Blue Eggs?
Aside from their eye-catching appearance, blue eggs are nutritionally similar to eggs of other colors, including white eggs and brown eggs. The health of the chicken, its diet, and environmental factors like whether they are free-range or kept in a chicken coop affect the nutritional value of the egg, rather than the color.
That said, chicken enthusiasts and backyard chicken keepers often love adding blue egg layers to their flocks because of the colorful egg baskets they create. Blue eggs are often viewed as a specialty or rare breed trait, making them a popular choice among those who appreciate unique egg colors.
A Colorful Egg Basket
Whether you’re aiming to collect a variety of coloured eggs or simply want to enjoy the charm of blue chicken eggs, raising a diverse flock of chickens can provide you with eggs in many different shades, from the dark brown eggs of Black Copper Marans to the white shell of White Leghorns. A mixed flock with breeds like Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, and the various blue egg-laying chicken breeds adds not only a rainbow of colors to your egg cartons but also joy to your daily egg collection.
For chicken keepers and enthusiasts who are looking for a fun, vibrant addition to their backyard chickens, blue egg-laying breeds like the Araucana, Ameraucana, Cream Legbar, and Whiting True Blue are a perfect fit. Their friendly disposition, beautiful appearance, and ability to produce eggs in various shades of blue make them a good choice for any backyard flock.
Bottom Line
Whether you prefer the blue eggs, green eggs, or the more traditional brown or white varieties, having a backyard flock with different breeds of chickens will give you a colorful egg basket and plenty of excitement for each egg you collect. Blue egg chickens are a special breed and a must-have for chicken lovers wanting to bring something a little extra to their daily egg production.
What questions do you have? Let me know in the comments!
Related Posts:
Chickens That Lay Colored Eggs
Choosing The Best Egg-Laying Chickens
How to Store and Preserve Fresh Eggs
When do Chickens Begin Laying Eggs?
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Fun topic and something I never understood before. I grew up thinking only white eggs were normal until I found out more to realize only certain breeds produce white eggs.