What mix for the most colorful eggs?

[Killlakilljoys]

Howdy yall! I have space for about 15 chickens... And i was hoping for a rainbow basket of eggs! If cost isnt a concern for buying chicks, whats the most colorful egg mix of chickens i could get?

 

[danceswithronin]

I'd do Olive Eggers (dark green), Cream Legbars (pale blue), Welsummers (speckled brown), Ameraucana (mixed colors), Copper Marans (super dark brown), and maybe something that throws light brown eggs like Orpingtons, or a few that thrown plain white eggs.

Also I find silkie eggs to be beautiful, a very pale pinkish-beige.

 

[Cyprus]

Ameraucana (mixed colors)

True Ameraucana chickens lay a blue egg. I think you're probably talking about Easter Eggers, which are mixes/mutts that lay colored eggs.

 

[ReagyEggy]

If you go to a store like tractor supply co, you might be able to find all/most of these breeds I'm about to share as chirpy little chicks.

White eggs: Leghorns would be the best. They are good egg-layers that will lay plenty of white eggs. Maybe silkies, but I've never had a silkie so I'm not sure what they're like.

Light tan or cream eggs: Buff Orpingtons are also a good egg layer. I've had them for many years and they're a sweet good breed. New Delawares are also one of my favorites!

Brown: New Hampshire red or Rhode Island red. I've had both of these breeds, but none of them lived longer than 2 years for some reason. It might have been our hot climate, but I'm not sure. Most people say they're good. A Plymouth rock would lay brown eggs too.

Green Eggs: My ameraucanas all laid green eggs. Light green, but green nonetheless. Ameraucanas are a good breed, one of ours is actually 11 years old and laid big double eggs most of her life! Other ameraucanas lay blue eggs too.

Easter eggers are a breed that is known for laying colorful eggs. You could get some of them! They can lay blue, green, pink, sage, or yellow.

In all, if you had every option, you should get at least two leghorns, buff orpingtons, ameraucanas, and easter eggers.

 

[danceswithronin]

True Ameraucana chickens lay a blue egg. I think you're probably talking about Easter Eggers, which are mixes/mutts that lay colored eggs.

You're right, I got them mixed up (LONG work day).

 

[sylviethecochin]

Your most common colours are:
White (Leghorn, Andalusian, any Mediterranean breed, Polish, etc.)
Blue (Ameraucana [not to be confused with AmerIcauna] Araucana, Whiting True Blue, Cream Crested Legbar)
Brown (RIR, New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Production Red, Red sexlink, Black sexlink, Delaware, Faverolles, Buckeye, Lohmann Brown, etc.)
Dark Brown (good quality Marans or Welsummer from a breeder. Not a hatchery Welsummer or Marans.)
Green (Favaucana, Easter Egger, TSC "colourpack")
Olive (almost always advertised as 'olive eggers.' Hybrids.)

Australorps have always given me a weirdly tinted brown egg, almost purplish. And penedesencas lay a plum-coloured egg, which is very cool

 

[KSH1]

Thanks for asking this, @Killlakilljoys! I've got 2-week-old chicks and probably won't add before next year, but I have already been contemplating how to add more egg colors. I did not know about Penedesencas; I wonder if they could handle our winters. I've got Easter Eggers, several brown egg layers, and Spitzhauben (SR so I hope at least one hen!), so I'm kinda thinking of seeing what my EE's lay and adding from there, but I don't think I've heard of them ever laying dark brown. I'm going to go tell them that @ReagyEggy says they have to cover at least blue, green, pink, sage, and yellow! I'm also looking for variety in the birds' appearances, but again, the EE's are a wild card.

So if I just can't wait a whole year, maybe some Marans and/or Penedesencas.....

 

[Killlakilljoys]

@KSH1 no problem! Im just a curious kid who wants some really wild egg colors. No harm in asking the (Egg)xperts, right?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Howdy yall! I have space for about 15 chickens... And i was hoping for a rainbow basket of eggs! If cost isnt a concern for buying chicks, whats the most colorful egg mix of chickens i could get?

To cover all your bases you will want to get:
3 true Ameraucanas or Legbars for blue eggs, 3 Leghorns for white eggs (they won’t disappoint you with their productivity ), 2 Black Copper Marans for dark brown eggs, 2 Olive Eggers for olive eggs, 2 Dominiques for lighter brown eggs, and 3 Easter Eggers for blue/green eggs to round it out.