This Is Why The Olive Egger Chicken Is So Strange

Have you ever heard of the Olive Egger Chicken before?

Thought not.

It is not a chicken breed that seems to be known in public circles.
But gosh…

Are they a strange cross-breed chicken?

Olive Egger Chicken In Its Own Right

Now, these Olive Egger chickens are produced from crossing different breeds of chickens.

So they are not a pure breed of chicken.

Maybe that is why they lay such strange eggs.

That part is coming soon…

Olive Eggers are a fun and an exciting hybrid breed of chicken.

So here is the strange part about them
Olive Egger hens actually lay several shades of green/olive tones eggs!
That’s right!

Don’t worry…

You can eat the eggs even though they have this green tone to them.
Hence, their name.

They are crossbred by breeding a dark brown egg-laying breed of chicken to a blue egg-laying breed.

Yes…

There is a blue lying chicken as well, blue eggs are not just found in the wild birds you know.

You learn something new every day…

And Their Appearance

Olive Egger chickens in fact do vary a bit from bird to bird.

As the Olive Eggers are not a pure breed of chicken, but a hybrid, they can all look somewhat different.

These chicken breeds can have a different plumage colour, pea comes and feathered legs

In fact…

Males and Females from the same clutch can be just as diverse as the next.

So if you are going for a specific look, a hybrid chicken might not be for you.

After all, when you put two different breeds of chickens together, you get a mingling of characteristics that can be quite diverse.

The Olive Egger Temperament

You can breathe easy to know that the Olive Egger chicken’s temperament is mostly friendly and mild.

So no raving mad chickens running around your chicken run…

But since Olive Eggers are a mixed breed, these breeds of chickens can and will differ a little, that can not be ignored.

It is a good idea to find out more about the parents of the Olive Egger, as they will usually take after their parents.

If both breeds are gentle and have a good personality your Olive Egger chickens will be as well.

And you can then go on to see what combination of breeds would work best for your Backyard chicken coop…

See also Everything You Need to Know About Rhode Island Reds: Facts, Egg Laying Habits and More

But these Olive Egger types of chickens are generally easy to raise and don’t take a lot of effort to please.

That’s a good thing…

Not the fussy kind then…

So no silver trays to bring their food out should have you sighing in relief…

The Olive Egger Chicken is also great to integrate into any flock mix that you already have.

So if you are like me and just have to have more than one breed of chicken in your chicken coop, than this breed will mix well with other chickens.

And if you are looking for a great egg producer that doesn’t go broody often, the Olive Egger is for you.

In fact, these Olive Egger chickens are one of the best breeds of chickens for many beginners.

Since they are such an easy bird to care for, they are some of the first breeds that beginners go to.

Are Olive Eggers Friendly?

Ahh…

The good old temperament:

Because of their genetic diversity, Olive Eggers, do tend to have a lot of individualised personalities, so that should keep you on your feet.

So…

In general, Olive Eggers are a friendly and mellow chickens to have around your backyard.

And!

They also get along well with other breeds.

Did you hear that…

Well!

They are actually an intelligent chicken and could out-think you on a dazed day if you have had a lack of sleep or a good night out.

Egg Production

Apart from their vibrant green colour eggs, which is where these chickens really get their names.

These green shades of chicken eggs can be anywhere from a…

Wait for it!

Bright green to a brown shade.

But occasionally one chicken is also capable of laying all shades of green and brown eggs.

These colours are a beautiful addition to any egg basket.

So show them off to your neighbours.

And since the Olive Egger chickens egg production is 4-5 eggs a week, and the hens can start laying at 5-6 months old, they are a very reliable egg layer.

So, the difference in egg colour is determined by what kind of hybrid chicken they are.

Since these combinations are not a100% predictable, you might just notice a few different shades of green and brown from the same hen.

See also What are Ameraucanas?

Do Olive Egger Hens Go Broody?

It can depend on the parent fowl selected for breeding as to the tendencies of broodiness of the Olive Eggers offspring really…

But as it is mostly the heritage breeds that go into their makeup, you can expect them to be of average broodiness of most hens, so that is every so often.

Olive Egger Roosters

The Olive Egger Roosters are in fact a fairly calm and docile rooster which is good.

As there is nothing worse than a crazed rooster patrolling the chicken coop, and that means that you could be in his sights as well when you enter the chicken door.

I may add your own Backyard chicken coop, but he thinks it’s his.

Well, it is in a way, but technically it is yours.

Ok…

Getting back to it.

O yes…

They also make good flock protectors as well.

What Are The Breeds To Make An Olive Egger Chicken?

The hens that can be used to breed Olive Egger are:

• Ameraucanas
• Cream Crested Legbars
• Araucanas

The Roosters that can be used to breed Olive Eggers are:

• Pendescenda
• Barnevelder
• Welsummer
• Marans

Can You Buy An Olive Egger?

You will be glad to hear now that you actually know the Olive Eggars exist.

That you can buy them almost anywhere that sells chickens.

And…

Including online.

I bet you were glad to hear that.

I bet you were worried as you learned more about this breed that it would be difficult to buy them easily.

When you buy an Olive Egger from a chicken breeder.

These chicken breeders of the Olive Eggar will usually have a good sense of what colour eggs their hens produce, but it’s not always an exact science.

The chicks can cost you anywhere from about $4-$7 each, and if you buy more, they usually come with a discount.

As with everything…

Right.

Not sure about a two-for-one, but we are not talking about shop sales…

So what do you think about the Olive Eggar Chicken?

Are you going to be running out to get some for your own chicken cook, this breed, in fact, will be a great addition to your backyard chicken house.