Which Chickens Lay Blue Eggs? 4 Breeds You Should Know

Only a few kinds of chickens lay blue eggs. The best known are the Ameraucana, the Araucana, and the Cream Legbar. Easter Eggers can lay blue eggs too, but not every one does.

The Blue Egg Layers

Ameraucana. This is a pure American breed. It has fluffy cheeks and a small beard. A true Ameraucana hen lays blue eggs.

Araucana. This breed is famous for ear tufts and for having no tail. It lays blue eggs too. It is rare and can be hard to find.

Cream Legbar. This breed comes from England. It has a small crest on its head and lays blue or blue-green eggs. Its chicks can be told apart as boys or girls by their color on hatch day. That is handy for new owners.

Easter Egger. This is not a standardized breed. The name is used for mixed chickens bred for colorful eggs, but it does not guarantee blue eggs. Hens that inherit the blue-shell gene may lay blue or green eggs. Brown pigment over a blue shell makes green. Birds sold as Easter Eggers may also lay other colors. Ask the breeder what colors their birds produce.

Why Are the Eggs Blue?

Blue eggs get their color from a pigment called oocyanin. The hen adds it early, while the shell is still forming. That is why a blue egg is blue inside and out. A brown egg is only brown on the outside. Crack one open and look at the inside of the shell.

The blue-shell trait is dominant: a hen needs only one copy of the gene to make a blue-based shell. But a parent with one copy does not pass it to every chick. A blue-egg parent does not guarantee that every daughter will lay blue eggs; inherited brown pigment can also make the eggs look green. Scientists have linked the blue-shell trait to a change in chicken DNA, including in Mapuche chickens from Chile.

Watch Out for Mix-Ups

Many feed stores sell chicks labeled "Ameraucana" or "Americana." Most of them are really Easter Eggers. Real Ameraucana chicks cost more and usually come from breeders. If you want a certain breed, ask the seller where the chicks came from.

Do Blue Eggs Taste Different?

No. Blue eggs taste the same as brown or white ones. They are not healthier either. What a hen eats and how she is cared for matter much more than shell color.

Ready to Find Your Blue Egg Layers?

Hatching Egg Directory lists breeders who sell hatching eggs from many breeds, including blue egg layers. Browse the listings, ask breeders about their birds, and start your flock with the right breed.