Chickens that lay colored eggs: find out which breed is best for your homestead.

Chickens that lay colored eggs can be a fun choice for homesteaders or someone that just wants to start a unique egg business.

Did you know that chickens can lay pink, green, blue, olive, and chocolate colored eggs?

However, it will be important to choose the right chicken that will be the perfect match for your environment and flock.

You'll want to have chickens that get along and are a good match for each other to have a more pleasant experience.

I had to learn this the hard way when we decided to buy 3 different types of chickens, so that we could have brown, white, and green colored eggs.

The white and brown egg laying chickens were aggressive and picked on our green egg laying chicken. 

We ended up just giving the chickens away after spending a lot of money on their housing, so it's wise to do some research before buying chickens that lay colored eggs.

Chickens that lay colored eggs: chicken breeds that lay cream and pink colored eggs.

Salmon Faverolle Chickens - a rare heritage breed of chicken that comes from France.  Faverolles are a great dual-purpose breed that has a unique appearance and 5 toes. 

These chickens have a very gentle nature and are friendly birds that make great lap chickens.

However, Faverolles will be on the bottom of the pecking order, so please don't keep them with aggressive chicken breeds!

I've raised a few Faverolles from chicks at one farm and they are adorable.

These chickens don't seem to mind confinement and are perfect for people that really like to interact with their chickens.

Faverolles can lay light cream to pink tinted eggs and are good egg layers even through the winter months.  They are also early egg layers and can lay 180 to 240 medium to large eggs per year.

Faverolles are more suited for colder climates, but also tolerate some heat as long as they have access to plenty of shade and cool water.

Light Sussex Chickens - are a dual-purpose heritage breed that originates from England.  

Like Faverolles, these hens are capable of laying eggs in the winter when most chickens stop producing eggs.

Light Sussex chickens are known to be gentle birds that are easy to train and are very tolerant of handling by people.  I've only encountered the Speckled Sussex and was very impressed with them.

They are a friendly breed that's not known to be noisy, so a good choice if you have neighbors close by. 

They like the company of other chickens, but will most likely be on the bottom of the pecking order, so keep that in mind.

Along with pink tinted eggs, this chicken breed can also lay cream to light brown colored eggs.  They are great egg layers and will produce 230 to 260 large eggs per year.

They are very cold hardy, but can deal with summer heat as long as they are provided a shady place and other ways to keep them cool.

Light Sussex enjoy free-ranging and are tolerant of being in more confined spaces.  They are considered a low maintenance chicken breed that adapts well to any surroundings. 

Chickens that lay colored eggs: chicken breeds that lay blue and green colored eggs.

Araucana Chickens - a rare heritage dual-purpose breed that originates from Chile in South America.  They're linked to the Araucana Indians who bravely resisted European conquest until the late 19th century.

Araucanas are known for their absence of a tail which is referred to as being "rumpless" and their ear tufts.

Araucanas are alert and intelligent chickens that will quickly respond to changes in their surroundings.

They are active foragers and will integrate well into a mixed backyard flock or small farm.  They are not usually bullies or victims of other chickens.

Araucanas lay blue to blue-green colored eggs.

They lay about 150 to 200 medium to large sized eggs per year.

Usually continue laying during the winter months.

They are known to be friendly and easily handled, especially when raised from a chick. 

Araucanas are on the talkative side, but are not considered any louder than other chicken breeds.

Due to their predator-savvy abilities, they tend to outlast other breeds and can adapt well to various climates.  They are also cold hardy.

I've never seen an Araucana at any farm that I visited and this could be the reason why: the lethal gene associated with their ear tufts can result in a condition known as "lethal chick syndrome" which causes embryos to die before hatching.

Ameraucana Chickens - are an American breed developed in the 1970s by breeders that liked the blue egg gene of the Araucana, but wanted to make a few changes.

The Ameraucana chicken has a tail, muffs, and a beard.  It's also larger in size and does not have the lethal gene present in the Araucana.

From my experience, this wasn't the friendliest chicken breed because they can act skittish in the presence of humans, but their eggs are beautiful.

They are considered a more gentle and easygoing breed that seems to fall in the middle of the pecking order.  They can also be bold and more outgoing.

Ameraucanas are considered good egg layers that usually lay eggs in shades of blue.

Sometimes they produce eggs that are blue-green in color.

On average, they lay 200 to 220 eggs per year in the medium to large sized range.

If you want a reliable egg producer, this could be the chicken breed to add to your flock.

The Ameraucana are a hardy and dual-purpose breed that does well in most climates as long as you protect them from extreme hot and cold weather.

Some say that Ameraucanas are brilliant and predator-savvy chickens which makes them a good choice for a foraging flock.

Cream Legbar Chickens - are a sought after British breed of chicken known for their ability to lay pastel sky blue eggs and light green eggs.

This breed is valued for its auto-sexing trait which means the sex of the chick can be determined hours after hatching.

Cream legbars are exceptional foragers and it's always better to provide an area for them to forage as they don't tolerate confinement very gracefully.

They are generally a peaceful and friendly bird that has a tendency to get picked on in a mixed flock, so they should be kept separate or with non-aggressive chicken breeds.

They are highly resistant to disease and illness which makes them an ideal choice for small scale farmers and homesteads.

These dual-purpose chickens are great egg layers and are known to lay up to 280 medium to large sized eggs per year. 

Cream Legbars will thrive in both warm and moderate climates.  They can also adapt to colder conditions, but may not do well in extreme cold.

Cream Legbars are known for their inquisitive nature and are very aware of their surroudings which helps them to avoid predators.  They are a fairly low maintenance breed that is very independent.

Olive Egger Chickens - are hybrid chickens created by crossing breeds that lay blue eggs like the Ameraucana with a dark brown egg layer like a Maran. 

This crossing results in hens that produce olive colored eggs.

People prize these birds because of their friendly nature, hardiness, and foraging habits.  They also adapt well to a mixed flock setting.

Olive Eggers have a calm social nature and have the ability to adjust to many different climates.

Their eggs are their standout trait with colors that range from deep olive and khaki to mossy green.  Olive Eggers lay about 150 to 260 medium to large sized eggs per year.

The color of eggs that an Olive Egger can produce will depend on the depth of color of the dark brown egg laying parent chicken.

The darker their eggs, the deeper the olive egg color will be from the hen.

Olive Eggers can tolerate both hot summers and cold winters if you provide them with a safe and well-ventilated chicken coop.

They are a quiet bird that will make a great homestead or backyard chicken.

Chickens that lay colored eggs: chicken breeds that lay chocolate and terracotta colored eggs.

French Marans are a rare and dual-purpose French breed that originated from the town of Maran in France.

Marans are known for their flavorful meat and premium deep-chocolate brown eggs.

Marans are an easy to handle and friendly breed that gets along well with other chicken breeds.  

They come in various feather colors that include Black Copper, Cuckoo, and Wheaten.  I'm very interested in raising this breed to experience chocolate colored eggs!

Marans have a natural instinct for foraging and find food on their own.  They are also known for their ability to sound the alarm when they sense danger.

Maran eggs can range from a gorgeous dark brown to dark chocolate color.

Marans lay about 200 eggs per year.

Their eggs are large and said to have a rich flavor which is preferred by chefs.

They actually have a reputation of laying the best tasting eggs in the world.

Marans are well-suited for various climates and bears confinement well in the winter time.  They can tolerate both heat and cold effectively.

Marans are a tough and disease resistant chicken breed that also does well in wetter climates.

Welsummer or Welsumer Chickens - are a beautiful and hardy breed of chicken that originates from the Netherlands.  

They are a dual-purpose breed that can be used for egg production and meat.  

Welsummer chickens love to forage and are prolific egg layers that can lay up to 280 medium to large sized eggs per year.  They get along well with other chicken breeds, so they can be a good choice for a mixed flock.

They are a more vocal breed of chicken, so they may not be a good choice if you have neighbors that are close by.

These chickens lay dark brown and terracotta colored eggs that also come speckled.

Welsummer chickens prefer cooler weather but are also heat tolerant.  They are a relatively friendly and docile chicken that bears confinement well. 

As a plus, chicks can be sexed at one day old because the male chicks will have lighter and less defined markings.

Chickens that lay colored eggs: chicken that lays multi-colored eggs.

Easter Egger Chickens - are a mixed non-standard breed of chicken that can lay blue, green, brown, cream, and rose colored eggs.

This lovely chicken was developed by breeding Araucana and Ameraucana breeds with other standard chicken breeds.

Easter Eggers are typically a very friendly and docile chicken which makes them very suitable for backyard flocks and homesteads.

They enjoy foraging and adapt well to free-range environments.

Easter Eggers are great egg layers and average 200 to 250 medium to large sized eggs per year.

However, you won't know what color egg your Easter Egger is going to lay until she lays the first one and that's the color she will consistently lay.

Easter Eggers are a resilient type of chicken.  They are cold-hardy, but can also easily live in hot climates with proper shading.  

We had an Easter Egger when we lived in Sedona, AZ and I just loved her.  She was a low maintenance type of bird with a good disposition.

I hope you can see that chickens that lay colored eggs can be a great addition to your homestead or chicken flock.

Just be sure to pick the right chicken and breed for your environment and situation. 

And be sure to pick the chickens that will be able to live in harmony together.

You can also just choose your favorite chicken that lays colored eggs and have only one type of chicken in your flock.