Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/heritage-chicken-colored-eggs/

You typically have two choices when you go to the grocery store to buy eggs. You can either get white eggs or brown eggs.

Limited egg choices seem perfectly normal to most people, but did you realize that eggs come in a variety of colors? I’m not talking about Easter eggs that have been painted. I’m talking about beautiful colored eggs that are laid that color.

It’s not out of the question to find some blue eggs in the nest or even green and red. These eggs come from various chickens, and it all has to do with their DNA, according to Michigan State University.

The colored eggs you get from many heritage chickens are white, but they have the colors due to pigments in the shell. They will continue to hold those colors, but if you keep them for a long time, the color may lighten.

Regarding the taste, if the chickens are healthy, the eggs will taste the same as any eggs you get from a farm.

What type of chickens lay these colored eggs?

Brahmas – Most people have at least heard of Brahma chickens, undoubtedly because they are very popular as a heritage breed.

They continue to lay eggs, even when the weather gets colder, and they tend to be more robust chickens than others.

You can expect large cream or brown-colored eggs from Brahma chickens.

Ameraucana – This hybrid chicken results when you crossbreed the Araucanas chicken with another chicken. Like the Araucanas, they produce a blue-colored egg about every other day.

Light Sussex – These chickens are easy to care for and are one of the older breeds. You can expect to find a pink egg in the nest.

Maran – This breed will lay up to 150-200 brown-colored eggs every year, according to AgriFarming. Younger Maran chickens lay darker eggs than older Marans. Many people say that they are the most delicious eggs in the world.

Isbar – This rare purebred chicken produces a green egg. Green eggs and ham, anyone?

Ayam Cemani – One would think that a fully black chicken would lay a black egg, but that isn’t the case. You can get some cream-colored eggs from this breed.

Olive Eggers – More dark green eggs come from this cross between a Maran and Araucana. Some of the 200 eggs they lay yearly may be brown-green.

Easter Eggers – If you are looking for exceptional colored eggs, you might want to try this breed. Actually, they aren’t a recognized breed, and they don’t all lay the same colored eggs.

Still, if bright blue or beautiful green eggs are your thing, try an Easter Egger chicken. You only know what you’ll get once they start laying.

Dongxiang – These Chinese chickens have black feathers but lay bright blue and sometimes pink eggs.

Yokohama – They typically breed this German chicken for its feathers, but they still lay a couple of light pink eggs weekly.

Arkansas Blue – These chickens are kin to the White Leghorn, but they produce a blue egg through and through.

You can watch this video to learn more about heritage chickens and the eggs they lay:

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog