Developing chickens to lay eggs with consistently blue shells requires careful consideration and attention to the breeding. Even though blue shell color is a dominant trait, developing the best blue egg layers is always a challenge.
For the 2022 chick season here at Cackle Hatchery® we prepared a ranked list of the best blue colored eggshell producers that we breed on our Cackle Breeding Farms. This ranking is offered to help you with your choice of Cackle Hatchery blue egg layers.
This list takes into account only the best blue shell colors. It does not take into consideration such other facts as how many eggs each breed produces in a year or the maturity time for hens to start laying.
Cackle Hatchery’s blue egg layers ranked for the best blue shell color for the 2022 season:
- Black Ameraucana
- Splash Ameraucana
- Blue Ameraucana
- White Ameraucana
- Blue Egger Female Surplus Special
- Easter Egger Bantam
- Cream Legbar
- Easter Egger
- Lavender Ameraucana
Greens Along with Blues
Blue shell color comes from the pigment biliverdin, which is a result of bile formation. Biliverdin produces shades of green, as well as shades of blue. Toward the end of our breed list, those ranked 7 through 9 will lay some eggs with green shells, along with blue shells.
Our Lavender Ameraucana has been our biggest disappointment in this regard. Please keep this in mind if you are purchasing Lavender Ameraucanas in 2022.
At Cackle Hatchery we are working diligently to develop all these breeds to lay eggs with consistently blue shells. We hope to see substantial improvements for the next two seasons.
Meanwhile, be assured that any of our blue egg layers produce eggs in lovely shades. So choose the breed(s) you like the best and enjoy the colorful eggs in your collection basket.
From the Cackle Coop, Jeff Smith owner and operator at Cackle Hatchery.
Glad you wrote this about the lavender strain. My first lavenders have started laying, and the eggs are more olive, but after reading the blog, it makes sense as this is a new variety.
L
I’m wondering since lavendar last a lighter blue egg if you bred them back to a black who is the best blue of the ameraucanas, if that would improve the egg color. I know there is a color called lavendar/black split. I’m not real big in the science part.