Different chicken breeds will lay eggs with an array of colors, sizes and also shapes. But my question is, have you ever come across a blu egg or ever heard of it?
The other day someone tried to convince me that Blue copper marans and Blue laced Wyandotte chickens lay blue eggs. Maybe it is because they have names that start with the word “blue”. Perhaps that was why he had the opinion of a blue egg.
Maybe some or a few of us have had the chance to see blue eggs. We are used to those white eggs for breakfast laid by industrial hens like Leghorns and Black star chickens.
Is there a blu egg?
It is true there are blue eggs. There area a few chicken breeds that lay rare colored eggs. Some will lay green eggs, brown eggs, light eggs while others will go an extra mile and lay pink eggs.
The shells of blue eggs are blue in color though not a dark blue but rather a light shade of blue that you can tell by the look.
These blue egg shells will have a blue color in the inside part of the shell. I know that sounds strange! Yes the blue color penetrates to the inner side of the shell just as it dominates the outside.
However, the inner contents that are the egg yolk and the albumen have the normal color of yellow and white respectively.
What causes a blu egg?
A chemical compound known as oocyanin causes the blue color pigmentation in a blue egg shell. This chemical compound is produced at the final hours of the egg making process therefore only being able to affect the egg shell which is formed last.
All eggs are white in color from the beginning. This is the real color of calcium carbonate a compound that forms the egg shell.
For the case of brown eggs, they travel down to the oviduct white and that is where they are stained brown. For the blu eggs, the dye gets during shell formation. This is the reason the inner and outer parts of the eggshell are blue in color.
It is a matter of timing to get the color depth. (Source).
What chicken breeds lay blue eggs?
There are very few chickens that are blue eggers. Araucana, Ameraucana and the Easter Egger are the best known hens that lay blu eggs.
Even though these eggs are blue in color, they are good to eat and tastes just the same as normal eggs. But there is a slight difference between eggs laid by hens in confinement and those that range and collect a variety of foods.
So, let’s talk little about the blue egg laying chickens
Araucana chickens
These chickens are rumples but have tufts on their ears. They look a bit odd and have a gamey appearance in a way because they also lack tail feathers.
They trace their ancestry in Chile, South America. Araucana chickens have a pea comb and in a year they will lay a clutch 250 eggs.
These chickens enjoy the privilege of recognition by the American Poultry Association and the Poultry Club of Great Britain.
They are also recognized in Australia. Araucanas have breeding problems and will require intervention if you want to get their chicks.
Ameraucana
These are another blue egg laying chickens. Unlike the Araucana, these chickens have muffs and a beard. They also do not have breeding problems like the Araucanas do.
They are very calm, sweet and are the kind you can keep as pets. Ameraucana chickens have a chipmunk appearance because of the muffs. You would think they are fierce judging by the look but these chooks are docile with a gentle temperament.
Their fierce appearance might probably scare away your little kids as well as chicken predators like hawks and possums.
These birds enjoy human company a lot and are cuddly accepting to be held on your lap or joining you for a nap. Do not be surprised if they come running for tasty chicken treats like popcorn and onions.
This breed is not very old and it was created just the other day around the 1970s. They were admitted in the APA in 1984.
They have white skin and feet. The legs are featherless and on each foot there are four well-spaced toes. Their eyes are bay but the color may vary.
Easter Egger
The Easter Egger chickens do not lay true blue colored eggs but their eggs are somewhere between olive and green.
This may be as a result of the parent genes because they are developed after crossing the Araucana and the Ameraucana chicken breeds.
They have tufts on their ears. The earlobes are either red or white. These birds will have both types of combs either pea or single.
Easter eggers are small birds that weigh 5lbs for the boys and 4lbs for the girls. They are very hardy and easy to keep.
Their blue slate legs are very clean and free from feathers. On each foot there are four toes that are well spaced. Some birds may have tail feathers while others are rumples depending on the dominant gene.
These chickens are calm, docile and outgoing just like the Serama chickens and the Speckled Sussex. They love company and will enjoy your lap because they are cuddly.
In a good year, easter egger hens will lay 200 colorful eggs but will hardly get broody. If you want to hatch their chicks without an incubator, stuff their eggs under a broody Brahma or Red Hampshire hen.
What chickens will lay white eggs and why?
Some chickens are eggcellent white egg layers. The reason their eggs are white is because the color of the compound that makes the egg shell or calcium carbonate is white.
Examples of white egg layers are: Leghorns, Ancona chickens, Hamburg chickens and California White chicken breed.
Final Thoughts
Blu eggs are not a myth. They are nutritious and good to eat just like brown eggs and white eggs. Their color is one of its kind and you will love to have a blue tray.
Although their eggs are beautiful, blue egg layers are very rare making them very pricy and expensive to buy.
Few dedicated breeders are working around the clock just to make sure these chickens are bred in numbers.
Have you ever seen a blu egg?