What causes green eggs?

[blumatablo]

The person who sold me my chickens said that one of them might lay green eggs. What causes that?

 

[jenifry]

Genetics, different breeds can lay different colored eggs.

 

[Cindy in PA]

There are only 2 true colors of eggs, blue & white.

 

[HudokFarm]

Yes, there are only 2 true shell colors, blue and white. However, white eggs may be overlaid with a brown pigment prior to laying which causes them to be differing shades of brown depending on the hen. When you crack a brown egg, you will notice that it is white inside.

A hen that produces blue eggshells may possess the gene for brown pigment as well, which will make the resulting egg appear to be varying shades of green. When you crack open these eggs, the interior will appear blue as that is the color of the shell.

Here is a link I found useful in researching this myself a while back: http://poultry.allotment.org.uk/advice/eggs/egg-shell-colour

 

[HudokFarm]

Forgot to add: your hens sound like Easter Eggers based on what you were told. They can technically lay any color of egg since they are a mixed of various breeds. Green eggs are among the most common since the blue egg gene is dominant to white and many of the crosses also pass on a brown pigment gene.

 

[Vivian J]

I mean the white of the egg has a green color to it.

 

[aart]

I mean the white of the egg has a green color to it.

@Vivian J this thread is very old about shell color.
Start a new thread with pics of your green egg contents.

 

[Pork Pie]

These links may be interesting

https://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/gms1-genetics-of-egg-color/

https://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/gms2-breeding-for-blue-eggs/

https://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/gms3-breeding-for-other-egg-colors/