Rainbow
Turn your basic browns and common whites into a rainbow basket with blue-, green- and chocolate-colored eggs!
To obtain the elusive rainbow dozen, you need to build a flock with select chicken breeds that can produce eggs prettier than anything you’ve seen at Easter. Plucked from the nesting boxes and lined up in an egg carton, these eggs are all about aesthetic, made up with shades of blues, greens, light browns, chocolate browns, shades of white and, if you’re lucky, pink, too.
If you sell your eggs for profit, you’ll find a dozen rainbow eggs will fly off the shelves of your farm stand. Even if you don’t sell your eggs, there’s nothing like heading out to the coop with your egg bucket and discovering the amazing shades of the day.
CoLor sCienCe
If you’ve seen a bright blue or deep chocolate-colored egg, you might be surprised to know that egg actually started out white. From start to finish, it takes around 26 hours for an egg to travel through the chicken’s oviduct. Twenty of those hours are spent completing the eggshell. Some birds, such as the Ameraucana, have the pigment oocyanin deposited on the egg as it travels through the oviduct. “This pigment permeates the eggshell resulting in the interior and exterior of the egg being the same blue color,” according to Michigan State University Extension. “Chickens that lay brown-tinted eggs deposit the pigment protoporphyrin on the eggs late in the process of forming the shell. The pigment therefore does not penetrate the interior of the egg, but tints only the surface of the egg, which is why brown eggs are white on the interior. In the case of an Olive Egger, a brown pigment overlays a blue eggshell resulting in a green egg. The darker the brown pigment, the more olive color of the resulting egg.”
While you can’t control the tiny details, if it’s a rainbow dozen you’ve set your sights on, these are the chickens you’re looking for.
BLue Bets
Blue eggs are the most sought-after egg color. Depending on your chicken of choice, you’ll find different shades of blue, too.
Araucanas: This is a rare breed, so you probably won’t find an Araucana chick at your local feed-supply store. While they lack beards, muffs and tail feathers, Araucana chickens have ear tufts gone wild, erupting from the sides of the head like a 70s-style bob. They lay approximately 250 pretty blue eggs per year to help add blue shades to your rainbow dozen.
Ameraucanas: Chicken enthusiasts choose Ameraucanas based on looks alone.
For new farmers, chickens are the ultimate gateway animal. Once you’ve added one or two chickens to your hobby farm, you suddenly realize an entire world has opened up to you. Will you keep it easy, choosing one or two breeds that lay eggs perfect for breakfast? Or, like countless others before you, will you head down the rabbit hole in search of eggs that make up the perfect rainbow dozen?
They have sweet faces with little muffs erupting from their cheeks, pea combs and friendly dispositions. Ameraucana chickens come in a variety of colors including
Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten and White.
This breed is an offshoot of the Araucana, and if you have a true Ameraucana in your hen house, you’ll be treated to around 250 bright blue or pale blue eggs per year. Keep in mind that, if there’s a crossing of your Ameraucana with other chicken breeds, your eggs could end up a shade of green instead of blue.
Cream legbars: The Cream Legbar is another relatively rare chicken breed, but if you can get your hands on one or more of these hens, you’ll enjoy beautiful blue eggs.
Not as prolific a layer as the Ameraucana or Araucana, they’ll lay an average of 180 skyblue eggs per year. Cream Legbars are also unique in that they are auto-sexing, meaning you can tell the female chicks from the male chicks upon hatch.
White Wonders
While white eggs might seem almost boring in comparison to blue, green or chocolate brown, they are a solid staple for your rainbow dozen.
white leghorns: When you want white eggs and lots of them, the White Leghorn is the chicken to choose. A breed that’s an above-average layer, it can produce up to 300 eggs per year and may even keep laying through a long, dark winter. Known for its large, floppy comb and white feathers, the White Leghorn is a good flyer, loves to explore and is a valuable addition to any flock.
Anconas: Add a few Ancona hens to your flock, and you’ll enjoy a sturdy breed that lays an average of 220 large, white eggs per year. The Ancona is a heritage breed that does great in all types of weather, and it is known for its ability to forage and its lack of interest in brooding.
Polish: Chicken fans love the Polish breed for the large muff on top of its head. It almost completely obscures its eyes, so you’ll find this chicken is constantly surprised by the world right in front of its beaks. While you’ll want to keep in mind that most chickenkeepers choose this breed for its stylish appearance, a Polish hen can still lay 120 to 200 white eggs per year.
Cream to Light BroWn
Off-white isn’t just a shade you paint the walls in your home. It’s a great color to add for contrast in your rainbow dozen, and there are a few hens that lay that shade of egg.
Brahmas: The Brahma are fluffy birds with feathered feet and a quiet disposition. You’ll love them for their size and style, but you’ll really appreciate the light brown eggs they lay. Brahma chickens can be found in
Dark, Buff and Light colors, and they lay approximately 200 medium-sized eggs per year.
wyandottes: Even in the cold months, the Wyandotte is a calm, friendly chicken that will reliably produce eggs throughout the year. You’ll love the intricate lacing on their feathers, and the different colors including Golden Laced, Buff Laced and Silver Laced. You’ll get approximately four light brown eggs per week from this type of chicken, amounting to an average of 250 per year. Just keep in mind that if you leave a pile of eggs near a Wyandotte, she may just decide she’s found the perfect spot to hatch a new family.
Silkies: Every new chicken-keeper loves the silky breed of chicken. Known for its soft, fluffy appearance, the Silky is a small chicken that’s picked more for size than production. They come in nonbearded (Black, Buff, Gray, Partridge and White) and bearded (Black, Blue, Buff, Gray, Partridge, Splash, White and Self Blue) varieties. A Silky hen is a known brooder, but she will also lay around 120 small white eggs per year.
BroWn & BeautifuL
Brown eggs are the staple that ties your rainbow dozen together, and you may want to choose more than one brown egg layer.
Rhode Island Reds: One of the most popular breeds of chicken, the Rhode Island Red is known for fiery red feathers, its easygoing and friendly nature, and the ability to lay large to extra-large brown eggs. On average, you’ll get 300 or more eggs per year from a Rhode Island Red hen.
Barred Plymouth Rocks: The Barred Rock is another popular face in the hen house, and this grey speckled chicken is widely known for its sweet nature, lack of interest in brooding and the ability to lay at least 200 large brown eggs per week.
Australorps: Every flock needs an Australorp or two. You can find blue, white