Olive Egger Chicken

The Olive Egger™ is a hybrid chicken, created by crossing a dark brown egg layer with a true blue egg layer. This mix results in hens that lay beautiful olive-colored eggs, adding a unique touch to your egg basket. At The Chicken Coop Company, we use a pure Cream Legbar Rooster and pure Welsummer hen to produce our F1 Olive Egger™. These chickens are reliable layers, with eggs that range from small at first to medium or large as the hens mature.

Keep in mind, the olive egg color may vary from hen to hen, and 97% of these hens will lay olive-colored eggs in various shades. These chickens are a great addition to any flock, offering both productivity and a splash of color.

Diet

• Pellets or Mash: A balanced poultry feed with a high protein content (around 16-18%) is essential. You can feed them commercial chicken feed or organic options.
• Supplements: Offer calcium supplements like crushed oyster shells to help with egg production and strong shells.
• Treats: You can give them healthy treats like vegetables, fruits, or mealworms, but always in moderation.
• Clean Water: Fresh water should be available at all times.
  
  

Housing

• Coop: Provide a clean, dry, and well-ventilated chicken coop to protect them from the elements and predators.
• Space: Each chicken should have around 2-3 square feet of space inside the coop and 8-10 square feet in an outdoor run.
• Nesting Boxes: They need comfortable nesting boxes for egg-laying. One box for every 3-4 hens is sufficient.
• Perches: Make sure there are perches inside the coop where they can sleep off the ground.

Are Olive Egger chickens good for egg production? Yes, Olive Eggers are considered good egg layers, typically producing around 150-200 eggs annually. Their egg production can vary based on factors such as diet, care, and living conditions. They usually begin laying eggs at approximately 5-6 months of age and tend to be consistent layers.

What color eggs do Olive Eggers produce? Olive Eggers are known for laying eggs with a distinct green color. This unique shade is achieved by crossbreeding two different chicken breeds—one that carries the blue egg-laying gene and another with the brown egg-laying gene. The result is a beautiful green-colored egg.

Which breeds are used to create an Olive Egger? Olive Eggers are created by crossing a blue egg-laying breed with a dark brown egg-laying breed. Common blue egg layers include Ameraucana, Araucana, and Cream Legbar, while dark brown egg layers may be Barnevelder, Empordanesa, Marans, Penedesenca, or Welsumer.

How many eggs do Olive Eggers typically lay each day? On average, Olive Egger hens lay about three to five eggs per week, equating to around 150-200 eggs per year. They exclusively lay green-colored eggs, not a combination of brown and blue eggs. The egg color is consistent, with the base color overlaid by another to produce the characteristic green.

How can you obtain Olive Egger chickens? To create an Olive Egger, you need to cross a blue egg gene with a brown egg gene, resulting in hens that lay large green/olive-colored eggs. About 85% of these eggs will be a solid green color, while the remaining 15-20% may range from light to dark brown. This crossbreeding produces hardy hens that are excellent foragers.

• Poultry Show Class: Not Applicable
• Weights: Hen ——-5 1/2 lbs
  
• Rooster—-6 1/2 lb
  
• Pullet——4 1/2 lbs
  
• Cockerel—5 1/2 lbs
• Purpose and Type: Egg laying and ornamental; Production
• Egg Shell Color: Olive green
• Egg Production: 180-200 eggs per year (estimates only)
• Egg Size: Medium-Large
• Temperament: Active
• Gender Accuracy: 80-85%
• Fertility Percentage: 55-70%
• Broody: Non Setter
• Mating Ratio:  10 Females to 1 Male
• Roost Height: 4+ feet
• Country of Origin: United States
• APA: No
• TLC: Not Listed
• Breeder Farm Source: Poultry Breeding Farm has been developing our bloodline/strain of production type Olive Egger since 2015.