Breed Highlight: Olive Eggers

Dudley and Dee Dee hatched from my white olive egger roo and black copper marans hens

Meet two of my newest olive eggers, Dee Dee and Dudley.  They were hatched from my white Olive Egger roo and a Black Copper Marans hen.  I am so curious at what color egg Dee Dee will lay.  She is just now nearing time she would start laying eggs but since we are into our winter season, she will most likely not lay until this upcoming spring.  My current Olive Egger hen, Snow White, lays a lighter greenish olive egg.  Pretty much the same color as my Easter Eggers but with a slightly more brown tint.  I am hoping that due to the Marans gene that Dee Dee will lay a darker olive colored egg.  The challenge for me is that two of my three Black Copper Marans hens do not lay breed standard dark eggs and the third barely makes the cut.  Marans are supposed to lay that dark chocolate colored egg but mine do not.

Dudley, my olive egg roo hatched from my white olive egg roo and a black copper marans hen

Olive eggers are a cross between and brown egg laying chicken and a blue egg laying chicken.  My roo is an Olive Egger and with the hen being a Marans I would hope I could get a darker olive colored egg.  Time will tell.  I do like their temperaments.  They are very shy but seem to have a sweet demeanor.  Olive Eggers are not a breed per se but more of just a mutt chicken that lays pretty shades of olive eggs.

I hope to remember to give you a future update on what color I end up getting.  What fun colors do you have in your egg basket?