“Follow every rainbow until you find your dream.”

- Sound of Music

Rainbow Eggs

Growing up, I thought eggs only came in 2 colors. White or brown. Not even dark brown, but light. Oh boy, I was so wrong!

When Wade and I started discussing raising chickens, I researched breeds. This opened up a whole new world for me regarding egg color! I wanted them all… all the colors of the rainbow. I’ve started obsessing about which breeds to raise, not only for egg color but their temperament as well.

We have over 160 hens laying gorgeous rainbow eggs a year and a half later. It still excites me to this day! Every day we collect eggs; I love seeing the olives, the chocolate browns, the pinks, blues, greens, and whites… they make me so happy. Plus, for me to share them with our friends, family, and patrons is the best feeling ever.

How do hens produce all those beautiful colors anyway?

The genetics of the hen will determine which egg color she will produce. Easter Eggers will lay colors such as green, pink, or blue. My Olive Eggers lay nice light or dark green eggs. Marans lay medium to chocolate dark-colored eggs. Hens like Australorps, Orpingtons, and Faverolles lay cream-colored eggs. Some hens even lay speckled eggs like Welsummers!

Did you know it takes a hen 26 hours to produce a single egg? And 20 of those hours are just for forming the shell? Amazing right?!

All shells start out white because of calcium. This is why it is imperative that laying hens consume enough calcium in their diet to produce excellent, thick shells. They get calcium from their feed, plus we supplement them with oyster shells (free-fed in a separate dish) and crushed egg shells that we mix in their feed or treats.

Hens that lay colored eggs have a specific pigment that permeates the shell as the egg travels through the hen’s oviduct.

This year, one of my goals is to improve my olives and dark browns. I have been reading and researching how to accomplish this, so I can’t wait to start!