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HomeRaising Animals15 Extreme Hen Breeds for a Vibrant Egg Basket

15 Extreme Hen Breeds for a Vibrant Egg Basket

15 Extreme Hen Breeds for a Vibrant Egg Basket

Within the occasion you’re into homesteading and curiosity farming, you’ve little query seen beautiful footage of egg baskets overflowing with multicolored eggs. These enviable egg baskets are ample to get anyone excited by yard hen preserving, nonetheless are you acutely conscious which breeds lay vibrant eggs?

There are a group of wonderful hen breeds that lay blue, inexperienced, darkish brown and even pink eggs. Together with these chickens to your flock will make egg accumulating a way more good chore.

Basketful of colorful chicken eggs
Basketful of colorful chicken eggs

Chickens that Lay White Eggs

Whereas it’s true that plain white eggs aren’t nearly as fascinating as shades of blues or greens, don’t low value together with only a few white egg layers to your flock. In case your goal is to have a vibrant egg basket, you’ll need eggs in every shade, along with white.

White egg layers moreover are generally extra prolific, which may hold you consuming current eggs for breakfast even when the additional vibrant egg layers are taking a break.

1. Leghorn

Leghorn chickensLeghorn chickens

The Leghorn is well-known for being among the many many prolific layers in chickendom. This breed is used most constantly on large egg manufacturing farms, nonetheless they fare very effectively in yard flocks as effectively.

The leghorn is small nonetheless mighty, producing spherical 280 vibrant white eggs per yr. This breed is believed for being skittish and flighty, so that they is maybe not best for households or these in search of pets, nonetheless do it’s a must to occur to’d like mounted white eggs in your egg basket, the Leghorn is among the easiest methods by which to go!

2. Polish

This breed is a yard favorite for good motive, their funky and stylish feathers make them fully distinctive amongst your flock. Polish chickens could also be current in quite a few coloration varieties and all perform an pretty bouffant of feathers on the proper of their head.

This breed is believed for being quiet, docile, and good. They’re the fitting pet with benefits for households with infants or individuals who want cuddly chickens. Polish chickens produce 2-4 white eggs per week.

Chickens that Lay Cream Colored Eggs

Chicken nest with cream eggsChicken nest with cream eggs

3. Silkie

Silkie chickensSilkie chickens

The Silkie is a beloved breed that lays small cream-colored eggs. These eggs are about half the size of regular hen eggs, nonetheless merely as delicious!

Silkies are acknowledged for being good and docile, they make good pets and fare effectively in all climates. Silkies moreover go broody regularly and make good mothers, so do it’s a must to occur to’re hoping to hatch some chicks finally, it is a wonderful breed for you!

4. Australorp

Australorp hen and roosterAustralorp hen and rooster

Australorps are one among our favorite breeds and for good motive! They’re good to of us and to totally completely completely different chickens, they’re cold-hardy, and they also moreover’re good layers of pretty cream-colored eggs.

Australorps themselves are an pretty breed as effectively, their black feathers are iridescent in daylight and have glints of inexperienced, blue, and purple all by way of the light.

Chickens that Lay Darkish Brown Eggs

deep brown chicken eggs in cartondeep brown chicken eggs in carton

Brown eggs are the commonest egg coloration, nonetheless darkish, chocolatey brown eggs are pretty arduous to return once more as soon as extra by, and they also moreover add pretty choice to your egg basket. The following breeds lay rich, deep brown eggs.

5. Barnevelder

Barnevelder chickensBarnevelder chickens

The Barnevelder is a popular breed as a result of its calm and sweet tendencies. They’re implausible with youngsters and make good pets with benefits. Crucial revenue is that these chickens lay deep, darkish brown eggs which is ready to really add some pretty variation to your egg basket.

6. Marans

Maran hen and two chicksMaran hen and two chicks

Marans could also be current in 9 completely totally completely completely different coloration varieties and lay eggs in a group of brown shades. This breed is kind of well-liked for yard flocks as they’re good and docile.

Principally principally most likely essentially the most well-known of the Marans is the Black Copper Marans, coveted for his or her completely beautiful chocolate brown eggs. This breed is little doubt one amongst many costliest you should purchase, they usually additionally’re inclined to advertise out inside days when hatcheries make them obtainable all by way of the spring.

Within the occasion you’re wanting in order so as in order so as to add Black Copper Marans to your flock, make sure that to deal with your favorite hatcheries and be there the day they go on sale!

7. Welsummer

Welsummer hen in the shadeWelsummer hen in the shade

The Welsummer lays pretty deep reddish-brown eggs with speckles on them. These eggs add an actual pop of curiosity to your egg basket.

Welsummer eggs, brown with specklesWelsummer eggs, brown with speckles

The Welsummer lays spherical 200 eggs per yr, are good foragers, and are pretty docile. The one precise draw as soon as extra to this breed is that they’re usually loud, so that they is maybe not an unimaginable different for metropolis or suburban hen flocks.

Chickens that Lay Blue Eggs

A bowl with a nest and blue chicken eggs in itA bowl with a nest and blue chicken eggs in it

Blue egg layers have seen a rise in recognition all by way of the closing decade, a whole bunch to the credit score rating score rating of Martha Stewart, who started the craze by that choices her blue egg-laying chickens on her tv current.

The newfound recognition has resulted all by way of the enchancment of many new colored egg breeds over the earlier ten to fifteen years.

8. Araucana

Araucana hen in the grassAraucana hen in the grass

Araucana chickens are a bizarre breed and pretty arduous to return once more as soon as extra by. Within the occasion you’d like in order so as in order so as to add Araucana chickens to your flock, your best guess is to contact a breeder that focuses on this breed, as most hatcheries don’t carry them.

The Araucana is the distinctive blue egg-laying hen that the Ameraucana and Easter Egger breeds have been developed from. This breed is fascinating as a result of the truth that it’s rumpless, which suggests it has no tail feathers, which provides this breed its attribute upright stance.

Araucanas even have pretty tufts of feathers rising out from beneath their ears, a perform that’s very unusual all by way of the hen world.

9. Ameraucana

Ameraucana hen in a fall fieldAmeraucana hen in a fall field

The Ameraucana is slightly just like the Araucana nonetheless rather more broadly obtainable. Similar to the Araucana, this breed lays pretty blue eggs and produces spherical 3-4 per week.

Ameraucanas are implausible egg layers and lay really pretty eggs, nonetheless aren’t acknowledged for being the friendliest birds. This breed is perhaps flighty, normally don’t like being touched, and is perhaps pretty loud as effectively.

10. Cream Legbar

Cream legbar pecking at grassCream legbar pecking at grass

Cream Legbar chickens lay pretty blue eggs. Not solely are their eggs beautiful, nonetheless the birds themselves are moreover as effectively. Together with these pretty birds to your flock will not be going to solely make for a stunning different in your egg basket, nonetheless it could moreover make your barnyard shine too.

Cream Legbars are acknowledged for his or her independence and good disposition. They prefer to free-range and don’t take effectively to being confined. This breed is an excellent different do it’s a must to must solely order female chicks, as their gender is simple to go looking out out at hatching.

Chickens that Lay Inexperienced Eggs

Egg carton with green, cream and white eggsEgg carton with green, cream and white eggs

11. Analysis

Isbar gridIsbar grid

The Isbar (pronounced ice-bar) was imported from Sweden and is a fairly new breed. This unusual breed produces pretty moss inexperienced eggs, though they usually lay brown speckled eggs too.

Isbars are chilly hardy chickens and good foragers, so that they’re good for a free-range flock. This lovely breed is an outstanding different for any native native climate and any family, though they is perhaps arduous to hunt out as most hatcheries don’t present them. Get hold of a specialised breeder do it’s a must to occur to’d like in order so as in order so as to add Isbars to your flock.

12. Ice Cream Bar

This new breed of hen was developed by breeding the Isbar with Cream Legbars to create a hen that lays pretty green-blue eggs. The Ice Cream Bar is believed for being calm and is an environment friendly egg layer at spherical 200 eggs per yr.

On account of this being a terribly new hybrid breed, there are only a few farms that promote these chicks and fertilized eggs.

13. Olive Egger

Olive egger henOlive egger hen

Very an identical to the Easter Egger, the Olive Egger is a blended breed, normally developed by breeding Ameraucana chickens with Marans. This hybrid breed lays principally principally most likely essentially the most beautiful olive inexperienced eggs.

On account of the truth that Olive Eggers is perhaps created from quite a few completely totally completely completely different breed mixtures, their disposition may be considerably bit little little little bit of a thriller until they’re totally grown. Most keepers of Olive Eggers uncover them to be good, and this attribute can positively be impressed with pretty a few coping with of the chicks whereas they’re youthful.

14. Favaucana

The Favaucana is one completely completely different hybrid breed, developed by crossing the Faverolle, a brown egg layer, with the Ameraucana, a blue egg layer. The following hen lays inexperienced eggs.

Favaucanas are a model new breed and on no account acknowledged as an official breed. They’re moreover usually lumped in with the Easter Egger Breed, which we’ll give consideration to subsequent.

Favaucanas are good egg layers, fare effectively in all styles of climates and are acknowledged to have sweet personalities.

Chickens that Lay Rainbow Eggs

Carton filled with colorful chicken eggsCarton filled with colorful chicken eggs

Whereas the beforehand talked about breeds predictably lay their destined colored eggs, there’s an entire completely totally completely completely different kind of hen that is extra sporadic in its egg colors. Analysis on to hunt out out extra about Easter Eggers, the fulfilling breed that lays eggs in all colors!

15. Easter Egger

Easter egger henEaster egger hen

Easter Eggers are a top-notch different do it’s a must to occur to’re wanting in order so as in order so as to add rainbow colors to your egg basket. They look like a blended breed, created by breeding quite a few lots of kinds of colored egg-laying breeds collectively.

Whereas the breed isn’t formally acknowledged and will’t be launched at reveals, this breed is an environment friendly addition to your yard flock.

Easter Eggers are pretty prolific, laying greater than 200 eggs per yr. Each hen will lay a singular coloration egg, from blue to inexperienced, even to pink shades. You acquired’t get completely totally completely completely different colored eggs from a single Easter Egger hen, nonetheless do it’s a must to occur so as in order so as to add quite a few to your flock, they’ll current a variety of pretty colors in your egg assortment.

The place to buy colored egg hen breeds

There are a group of decisions for together with to your hen flock. Native farm retailers usually have chicks on the market within the market all by way of the early spring, and most of them launch a schedule of which breeds is perhaps obtainable and when on their site on-line.

Alternately, you would possibly buy fertilized eggs and hatch the chicks your self! It’s a fulfilling enterprise for all the family, and there’s nearly nothing so satisfying as elevating your chicks from tiny embryos to full-grown hens.

You should buy fertilized eggs on eBay, Craigslist, or from native farms. Native farms are top-of-the-line methods to go do it’s a must to occur to can, that methodology you don’t must stress about harm to the eggs all by the use of transport!

The favored methodology by far in order so as in order so as to add colored egg breeds to your flock is to buy from a web-based based mostly completely hatchery. These hatcheries are well-known for having an infinite variety of breeds obtainable and will ship the day-old chicks nearly wherever in just a few days. We’ve ordered from on-line hatcheries many events and have found good success with them.

Are you ready in order so as in order so as to add some colored egg breeds to your flock this yr?


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