Chicken Breeds and Their Egg Colours: A Complete Guide

Thinking about keeping chickens? Enjoy more than just the usual supermarket brown eggs by selecting hens that lay a rainbow of beautiful egg colours. This comprehensive guide will help you choose chicken breeds based on the colours of their eggs, enhancing your backyard flock and breakfast table alike.

What Colours Can Chickens Lay?

Chickens can produce eggs in an impressive spectrum of colours including white, cream, various shades of brown, blue, green and even olive. The size of the eggs also varies, typically ranging from small to extra large depending on the breed.

Purebred or Hybrid Chickens: What’s the Difference?

Most hens lay best in their first two years, after which egg production declines. It’s beneficial to have a mix of purebred and hybrid hens for a balanced flock.

Purebred chickens tend to lay fewer eggs annually—150 to 200 on average—but often live longer and display a wider range of personalities and exotic plumage colours. They may also go broody more often, which means they want to hatch eggs, sometimes interrupting your egg collection.

Hybrid chickens, on the other hand, are bred primarily for high egg output, often producing about 300 eggs a year or more, averaging five eggs a week. Their lifespan may be shorter, but they are reliable layers and usually less broody.

Both types make great pets and valuable additions to any smallholding or garden.

Popular Purebred Chicken Breeds and Their Egg Colours

Araucana chickens produce distinctive baby blue eggs. Lavender Araucanas are especially known for laying these small to medium eggs for up to five years. They have quirky, friendly personalities and are hardy pets.

Appenzeller Spitzhauben are eye-catching with their Dalmatian-like spotted white and black plumage and feathered crest. They lay about 140-160 medium to large white eggs annually and are friendly for pets.

Silkies are beloved for their teddy bear looks and fluffy plumage. They lay small white eggs, usually one to three per week, and are among the most broody hens. Silkies come in various colours including white, black and cuckoo, and are particularly docile and good as pets.

Cream Legbars lay charming blue or sometimes green eggs. This auto-sexing breed has chicks that can be sexed from day one, making them popular. They average around 180 blue eggs annually and have striking grey and apricot plumage.

Welsummers are known for their large, deep reddish-brown eggs that sometimes have speckles. They produce roughly 150 such eggs yearly and live well up to nine years. Their golden-flecked neck feathers make them a beautiful addition to any flock.

Common Hybrid Chicken Breeds and Egg Colours

Bluebells are large birds that lay pink-brown eggs and are a cross between Rhode Island Reds and Marans, producing about 260 eggs per year.

Columbines derive from the Cream Legbar breed and lay mostly green-blue eggs, with a chance of pale eggs.

Columbian Blacktails, also called Calder Rangers, lay large brown eggs and are famously used by Waitrose. They have rust brown plumage and black tail feathers, number around 300 eggs a year and are curious and friendly.

Speckledys are hybrids crossed between Marans and Rhode Island Reds. They look similar to Marans with grey speckled plumage and lay medium-speckled brown eggs, about 260 annually. They are also known for their calm nature and caretaking tendencies within a flock.

Warrens (or Goldlines) hold the record for laying the highest number of eggs—about 320 large light brown eggs yearly. They are friendly and ideal for first-time chicken keepers.

Tips for Choosing and Keeping Chickens

• Consider your local climate and housing setup: hardy breeds like Araucanas tolerate cold well, while Silkies need some extra protection.
• Decide if your priority is egg quantity or also diversity in egg colour and hen personalities.
• A mix of breeds might give you a lovely diversity of eggs over the year plus sociable, interesting flock dynamics.
• Be prepared for hens to moult in winter when they typically stop laying eggs temporarily.
• Always welcome proper veterinary care and maintain good coop hygiene to keep your birds healthy.

Responsible Ownership and Ethical Purchasing

When acquiring chickens, support reputable breeders or adoption options to ensure you promote ethical breeding and animal welfare. Responsible owners commit to providing life-long care, suitable nutrition, shelter and company for their flock.

Choosing the right breeds for your needs helps create a happier flock and a more rewarding connection with your backyard poultry.

Conclusion

Exploring chicken breeds based on their egg colours adds excitement to poultry keeping. Whether you prefer the reliable hybrids, the exotic pure breeds or a thoughtful mix, the range of colours from creamy whites to olive greens means your egg basket will never be dull. Selecting your hens with care ensures a fruitful, joyful experience.

Start planning your colourful flock today and enjoy the variety and character each hen brings to your home.