First Easter Egger Egg Colors
The chickens laid their first egg! Cookie won the race, laying a mint green egg at almost egg-zactly (ha) 5 1/2 months of age. A few others followed suit soon after, so we officially have a little insight as to the Easter Egger egg colors our flock will lay. Right now we’re getting about 2 eggs a day, from what I think are 3-4 laying hens. So, this equates to roughly 1 egg every other day per chicken. Our Easter Egger egg colors collection includes a range of blue to green.
Easter Egger Egg Colors are Unique to each Chicken
The fun thing about Easter Eggers is that they each have their own, special egg pigment. Right now, it’s hard to tell for sure whose egg comes from which hen in the flock. This is because when hens first start laying, their little systems are still trying to get the routine down. Egg coloring and size will vary a bit for the first few months. Our current Easter Egger egg colors include a mint green (Cookie), baby blue (Donnie), mid-tone forest green (Deli?), and a green with little white specks. (I’m seriously hoping those specks stay consistent!) Color can also change based on if they’re molting, nutrition intake, etc..
How are Easter Egger egg colors determined?
I’m no expert, and I won’t pretend to be one. However, the general consensus seems to be that Easter Egger egg colors are mostly determined by the heritage breeds that make up the individual bird. While Easter Eggers are considered mutts in the chicken world, they are universally supposed to have a “blue” egg laying gene. (This typically comes from the Araucana breed.) Depending on which mixes make up the birds’ genetics, they will combine to create different hues of egg shell. For example, blue egg genes + brown egg genes will create more of a green egg tint. This is only scratching the surface, of course.
Misconceptions about Easter Egger egg colors
When I ordered our chickens, I chose Easter Eggers because I wanted variety within a single breed order. (It can be insanely expensive to place a “mix n match” order.) Though each chicken has similarities, they all look totally different to me. I love this fact, because I really get to know each hen’s personality this way. However, I was under the impression that Easter Egger egg colors are “all colors of the rainbow”. While this is a nice thought, it’s looking more like the eggshells will all be somewhat similar: on the blue-green scale. I imagine that batches of Easter Eggers ordered from a single breeder will have similar bloodlines. Perhaps Easter Eggers from different bloodlines would have more variety in egg tint?
I’m crossing my fingers that one of the yet-to-lay hens will give me a pinker egg, however, I don’t think it’s likely. I’m planning on adding a few light/pink laying breeds to my flock in the spring, to help add some variety to our Easter Egger egg colors. If I really had my wish, I’d start a dark-egg laying flock. (Think olive green, chocolate, and speckled eggs.) But that’ll have to wait until the next property. For now, my Easter Egger egg colors from Tractor Supply Co. will do just fine.
Disclaimer: We’re not professionals or experts on this topic, so all we can do is share our own personal experience in hopes that it helps you in your journey! We always recommend consulting with the pros directly.