A backyard chicken that lays blue eggs can be a good addition to the flock. Most chicken breeds lay white or brown eggs.
However, there are several others that lay blue eggs. As a backyard chicken keeper, nothing could be more fascinating than coming across colorful eggs in your coop.
So, what kind of chicken lays blue eggs? Some of the common chicken breeds that lay blue eggs include Ameraucana, Araucana, Easter Egger, Cream Legbar, and Arkansas blue.
In this article, we will have an in-depth discussion of these breeds. Keep reading to learn more.
Ameraucana
The Ameraucana is a pure chicken breed that was developed in the United States of America from South American blue egg-laying breeds.
Since the 1970s, the Ameraucanas have been recognized as their own breed. They are average in size, with the roosters weighing 6.5 lbs while hens weigh about 5.5 lbs.
The breed is docile and friendly. Unlike roosters of other chicken breeds, the Ameraucana roosters are less aggressive.
The hens are prolific layers and can lay about 150 to 200 eggs in a year. The breed produces blue-colored eggs. It comes in eight different colors such as black, blue, wheaten, lavender, and white.
If you are looking for a chicken breed that will ensure a steady supply of blue eggs, then this is one of the breeds you can consider.
Araucana
The Araucana chickens are widely known for their highly energetic personalities. This can be translated as either very flighty or extremely curious and friendly to human beings.
The character makes them incredible foragers who will scratch in nearly anything all day, searching for bugs and the tastiest plants.
The breed originated in Chile, and as the name suggests, it is the breed that the Ameraucanas were developed from.
They do not have tails and have prominent ear tufts that visually set them apart from the Ameraucanas.
They come in various colors, such as duck wing silver, golden, white, and black. The breed can be raised for both eggs and meat.
They will ensure that you have a constant supply of blue eggs. Their roosters weigh about 5 lbs, while the hens weigh around 4 lbs.
Under good medical care and proper diet, an Ameraucana hen can lay about 160 to 200 eggs in a year.
Easter Eggers
Although they are not considered a specific chicken breed, Easter eggers are popular but a version of “moggie” or “mutt .”
They are sometimes called rainbow layers because they tend to lay eggs of different colors, including blue, green, olive, pink, and brown.
Those that lay blue eggs inherited the gene for blue-colored eggs from an Ameraucana or Araucana ancestor.
They are a fun variety to add to your flock as you can not be so sure of the exact color of eggs you will get from a specific hen until she starts laying eggs.
They are considered prolific egg layers that can lay up to 200 eggs in a year if they are well taken care of. You can also raise them for meat.
A rooster will be around 5 lbs, while a mature hen will be around 4 lbs.
Cream Legbar
The Cream Legbar is one of the most popular chicken breeds that lay eggs. The breed was first bred in the early 1930s by crossing Leghorns, Barred Rocks, Gold penciled Hamburgs, and Araucanas.
At that time, the breeders mainly focussed on the cream color, which had never been seen before.
By 1970, the breed had almost become extinct. However, a growing interest in the multi-colored eggs among breeders and chicken enthusiasts saved the day.
Today, the breed is common because of its blue eggs. They will ensure that you have a constant supply of blue eggs throughout the year.
Araucanas are medium-sized, with hens weighing 6 lb while roosters weigh 7.5 lb on average. They are independent and will prefer to be free-range instead of being confined.
Generally, the Cream Legbars are low-maintenance and robust chickens that are friendly and docile.
Arkansas Blue
The Arkansas Blue is an experimental chicken breed from the University of Arkansas. It is a crossbreed of the Araucana and Leghorns to create a blue egg-producing chicken.
The breed is medium-sized and is considered a prolific layer. They can lay about 200 to 270 blue eggs in a year.
They have a similar appearance to the Sumatra with a pea comb and a gray or blue feathering.
Dongxiang
The Dongxiang chicken breed is common in the tropical Jiangxi province of southeast China. It is an ancient chicken breed with black skin (fibromelanistic bird).
The other popular fibromelanistic bird chicken breed is the Ayam Cemani. The two have similar colors, although the Dongxiang is not as dark in color.
In China, they are considered healing and healthy because of the unique color of their skin.
They are small-sized chickens, with their roosters only weighing 4 lbs while their female counterparts weigh 3 lbs.
Unfortunately, the Dongxiangs are not considered good egg layers. They can only lay about 2 to 3 blue eggs in a week.
However, a recent breeding program has resulted in a partridge-colored Dongxiang that can lay 3 to 5 eggs each week.
Azur Blue
The Azur Blue chickens are not purebred chickens of old origins. They were recently bred specifically to be small and friendly chickens with an adorable white plumage that can lay many large blue eggs.
When left to forage for their food, these chickens can do well on pasture and do well when left to for well.
They can be perfect for small-scale producers and small flock keepers who want a hard-shelled, high-quality, and prolific egg-laying breed.
The genetic makeup of the Azur Blue chickens consists of the Sage Eggers, Welsummers, White Legbars, and Cream Legbars.
They are known for their friendly disposition. They are prolific layers. Under good care and a well-balanced diet, they can lay up to 300 eggs in a year. Azur Blue hens weigh about 4 lbs, while roosters weigh 5 lbs.
Whiting True Blue
The Whiting True Blue is a relatively new chicken breed in poultry. It is named after Dr. Tom Whiting, who developed it.
They have a friendly disposition and a good heat tolerance and will do well if allowed to free-range. Their hens weigh about 5 lbs, while roosters weigh 6.5 lbs.
They are prolific layers that can lay up to 300 eggs in a year.
What Makes A Chicken’s Eggs Different?
The color of a chicken’s eggs is determined by its breed and genetics. The egg color is a breed trait.
Therefore, a chicken that belongs to a given breed will always lay eggs of a specific color. For instance, the Ameraucanas will produce blue eggs while a Leghorn hen will always produce brown eggs.
A chicken’s egg will always start out white. Those that come in different colors are exposed to various pigments as they travel through the oviduct, a journey that takes about 26 hours.
The eggshell takes about 20 hours to completely form. Blue eggs in chickens owe their color to a pigment known as oocyanin.
It permeates the eggshell so that both the outside and the inside are the same shade of blue.
Can The Nutritional Value Of An Egg Be Affected By Different Colors?
Some people used to say that blue eggs have less cholesterol and more protein than eggs of other colors.
However, this is not true. In terms of cholesterol, proteins, and calories, all chicken eggs have the same nutritional value irrespective of the color of their shells.
The main thing that can affect the nutritional value of a chicken egg is its size. For instance, a jumbo or large chicken egg is going to have more proteins, calories, and other nutrients compared to a small egg.
The color of the eggshell will also not affect the appearance and taste of the yolk. The color of the yolk is mainly affected by the chicken’s diet.
For example, if you give your hens leftover red chile peppers, they will more likely produce eggs with yolks the color of sunsets.
On the other hand, hens that eat a lot of corn are more likely to lay eggs with yellow yolks.
Which Chicken Breed Lays The Bluest Eggs?
The Araucana chickens are known for laying the bluest eggs than any other chicken breed that lays blue eggs.
This popular chicken breed originated in Chile, and most other breeds on our list that lay blue eggs are its descendants.
What Other Colors Of Eggs Do Chickens Lay?
Most chicken breeds lay white and brown eggs. However, there are other colors of eggs that different chicken breeds lay.
Some of the colors include dark chocolate brown, green, Cream, and pinkish-hued eggs. The color of eggs will largely depend on the breed.
Conclusion
Chickens that lay blue eggs are rare, and their purebreds are slightly expensive. Brown and white eggs are the most common as well as least expensive.
However, the sight of colored eggs such as blue can be fascinating. If you are a fan of blue eggs, you can try one of the chicken breeds on our list.
