Olive Egger chickens are not a breed, per se, but a hybrid—usually a blue egg layer and a dark brown egg layer—Ameraucana hen and Copper Maran rooster, the resulting chick is an Olive Egger who will lay olive green eggs. The chick will hatch out of a blue egg, but it will inherit the traits of both parents.
Though the plumage on this cross varies, 95% of Olive Eggers will lay an olive-shade egg, varying from lighter olive to vary dark “army green”. For genetics lovers, the reason for that is the flock combination of F1s and F2s. F1s have a 1/16th change of laying a brown egg instead of an olive egg, and F2s have nearly a 100% chance of laying darker olive eggs.
BREED: Olive Egger
CLASS: Not recognized; hybrid
VARIETIES: None recognized, as this is not a standard breed
TYPE: Large / Varies
SIZE: Medium (6-7 lbs)
COMB TYPE: Varies
USES: Eggs, Meat
CLIMATE TOLERANCE: Hardy in winter, not especially heat hardy
EGG SIZE: Large
SHELL COLOR: Olive Green
LAYING HABITS: Good (3/wk)
BROODY: Yes
PERSONALITY: Varies / Friendly, easy going
RARITY: Rare
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Varies
— Opal our Olive Egger —
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| Opal at 1-week-old |
