What Are Olive Egger Chickens?
If you were like me growing up, then you probably only ever saw (and ate) white chicken eggs. Then, as time went on, and you got more interested in raising animals, farming, and homesteading, you learned that the colors of eggs can be way more varied than you imagined! Suddenly your diet didn’t just include white eggs anymore, but also brown, blue, and even green.
Nowadays, I know that the colors of eggs are as varied as the chicken breeds that are laying them. That’s because every chicken breed is known for laying a specific color (or spectrum of colors). For example, when it comes to green-hued eggs, it’s the Olive Egger Chicken that’s responsible.
In this article, I want to focus entirely on the Oliver Egger chicken breed. Down below, I will discuss everything you need to know (hopefully) about Oliver Eggers.
The breeds that make up Olive Egger
Physical characteristics of Olive Eggers
Personality and behavioral traits of Olive Eggers
Egg laying characteristics
How to care for Olive Egger chickens, including some pros and cons
**J&R Pierce Family Farm is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to allow sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. I often link to Amazon when recommending certain products, and if you choose to purchase, I may earn a small percentage of the sale. It costs you nothing extra, and all recommended products are ones that I personally vouch for.**
Are Olive Egger Good Chickens?
Yes, Olive Eggers make great egg-laying and ornamental chickens.
They are reliable, prolific egg layers all year long.
Their unique olive-colored eggs add a lovely splash of color to the otherwise white and brown eggs you are probably used to.
Aesthetics-wise, they are pleasant to look at and add a varietal look to your flock.
Their personality is curious, outgoing, calm, and agreeable with other chicken breeds.
They are hardy chickens that can do well in both cold and hot weather.
Interestingly, Olive Eggers is not a true breed. Therefore, they are not classified by the American Poultry Association. This is because they can be produced by mating several different combinations of chicken breeds.
How parent chicken breeds that can be bred to make Olive Eggers, like the ones I I am going tio list in the section section, are not considered Olive Eggers. This is true even if they occasionally lay green-colored eggs.
What Breeds Make Olive Egger?
Egg color is directly related to the specific breed of chicken. While all eggs start off white inside a hen’s ovary, color pigments are deposited onto the egg as it passes through the hen’s reproductive system. Eventually, when the egg is laid, it will possess a unique color hue specific to the breed.
Olive Egger chickens are a crossbreed between a breed of chicken that lays true blue eggs and a chicken breed that lays brown eggs. The mixture of brown and blue hues creates green eggs.
Eggs from an Olive Egger chicken can vary from dark, rich green to a lighter olive shade of green. The darker the shell color of the brown egg-laying parent, the richer the green color will be in the Olive Egger’s eggs. On the other hand, using a breed of chicken that layers lighter brown eggs will result in an Olive Egger that lays a khaki shade of brownish-green.
Common blue egg layer chickens include:
Ameraucana
Araucana
Easter Egger
Chickens that can lay brown eggs:
Barnevelder
Empordanesa
Marans
Penedesenca
A Quick Note About Breeding for Olive Eggers
To create a hybrid Oliver Egger chicken, you can cross a brown-egg rooster to a blue-egg hen. Conversely, you can cross a blue-egg rooster with a brown-egg hen. Either option will result in a hen that can lay green-colored eggs.
However, if you want to breed the first generation of Olive Egger hens back to the rooster to produce a second generation of hens that can lay even greener eggs, it’s best to do that with a brown-egg breed of rooster. On the other hand, if the rooster is from a blue-egg breed and you breed your hens back to that rooster, the subsequent generation of hens will have paler green eggs compared to the first generation.
Description of the Olive Egger Chicken
When it comes to physical appearance, every Olive Egger is going to be different. The reason Olive Eggers can be so diverse-looking is because they are hybrid chickens bred from two different chicken breeds. Therefore, they will take on a mixture of physical characteristics based on who their parent breeds are.
The plumage on Oliver Eggers can be varied. However, it is almost always very striking. Olive Eggers can display a wide variety of patterns, colors, and textures. For example, some Oliver Eggs may have a smooth texture while others have a more frizzled plumage.
In terms of colors, most Olive Eggers display a blend of earthy tones such as grays, browns, and blacks. It is also common for Olive Egger chickens to display unique patterns like mottling and speckling. Mottled or speckled chickens have an irregular pattern of streaks, blotches, marks, or spots with different shades of color. This adds to the chicken's visual appeal!
The size and weight of Olive Eggers will depend on the parent breeds, but normally they are medium-sized. Oliver Eggers can be bred into full-sized or bantam breeds. However, it’s normally safe to say that Olive Eggers hens will weigh between five and seven pounds. Roosters will be heavier, about six to eight pounds, and can be up to four feet tall (or a little taller).
The average weight for an Olive egger hen is 5 1/2 pounds, while a rooster is 6 1/2 pounds.
Behavioral Traits of the Olive Egger Chicken
While the individual temperament of any chicken can vary, in general, the Olive Egger breed is known to have delightful and endearing personalities.
Olive Eggers can be curious and friendly chickens. They like to take an interest in their surroundings and especially in their caretakers (that’s you!). If they do end up being sociable, they can seek out interaction with you as you raise them.
Unlike some other breeds of chicken, which can be nervous, flighty, or anxious, Olive Eggers are usually pretty calm and docile. In general, they are easygoing chickens who enjoy exploring the yard or pasture, scratching the ground, and foraging for snacks.
Most of the time Olive Egger chickens are not aggressive. They usually get along fine with other chicken breeds and are able to integrate into a mixed flock. They are not ones to climb to the top of the pecking order of your flock, but depending on the chicken, they can sometimes assert dominance and solidify their space within the hierarchy.
When it comes to laying eggs, Olive Eggers are not overly known for being broody. However, if they do go broody on you, they typically turn out to be good mothers of their chicks.
Compared to some other chicken breeds, Olive Eggers are known for being very hardy. This means they can do well in both hotter and colder climates.
Can You Raise Olive Eggers for Meat?
How a chicken is raised and for what reasons is entirely up to its owner. In the case of Olive Eggers, yes, technically speaking, Olive Eggers can serve as “dual purpose” chickens, meaning they can be raised for their eggs or their meat.
However, with that being said, most farmers and homesteaders raise Olive Eggers because of the beautiful, delicious, and nutritious eggs they can lay. In addition, Oliver Eggers are sought after ornamental chicken breeds, meaning people like raising them because they are interesting and beautiful-looking.
How Many Eggs Do Olive Eggers Lay?
Olive Egger chickens are prolific egg layers. Typically, they lay medium to large-sized eggs. Like most other chicken breeds, Olive Eggers begin laying eggs around five to six months of age. From that point on, Olive Eggers can lay between 180 and 200 eggs per year.
It’s worth mentioning that the number of eggs a chicken lays is not guaranteed by its breed. The quantity of eggs a chicken lays depends entirely on how it is raised. A healthy diet, lots of water, stress-free living, and a clean coop go a long way in ensuring a chicken lays as many eggs as possible.
In addition, age is a factor when talking about how many eggs a chicken can lay. Unfortunately, as hens age, they tend to lay fewer eggs.
Caring for Olive Egger Chickens
As I mentioned above, the number of eggs your Olive Egger hens lay is directly correlated to their quality of life. The happier and healthier your hens can be, the more eggs they will produce for you. So, let’s take a look at some care guidelines for Olive Egger chickens.
Water and Feed
Access to clean water at all times of the day is mandatory. In addition, routine cleaning of chicken waterers is critical for preventing the spread of bacterial diseases.
Regarding feed, Olive Eggers need high-quality feed that is suited to the developmental stage they are currently in. Obviously, as the hens begin laying eggs, they will need a specific diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals that help egg laying.
Housing
Housing Olive Eggers is like any other chicken breed. The rule of thumb for an egg-laying coop is four square feet per bird. Olive Eggers do not need to be housed separately, and they should be able to integrate into the flock.
Because Olive Eggers are curious and active birds, they enjoy having space for exploring and foraging. Regarding your chicken run, a good rule of thumb for Olive Eggers is 10 square feet per bird.
It goes without saying that the housing for your Olive Egger chickens should provide a shady reprieve from hot weather, be well insulated for cold weather, and be 100% protected from predatory entry.
Diseases and Health Issues
Olive Eggers are hardy birds. Therefore, they are not super prone to common chicken problems like diarrhea and coccidiosis. However, that does not mean they are invincible to all potential poultry-related health problems. For example, when you raise Olive Eggers, you might have to deal with scaly mites.
To monitor for diseases and other health issues, pay attention to your flock’s feeding and watering behaviors. In addition, monitor their behavior (i.e., how active they are), their droppings, and most importantly, their egg-laying.
Pros and Cons of Olive Egger Chickens
Can lay 180 to 200 medium to large-sized eggs every year
Not great for meat production
Beautiful array of green-colored eggs
Correct breeding for perfectly olive-colored eggs can be tricky
Hardy birds in terms of weather and health issues
Depending on the parent breed, they can take on less desirable personality/behavior traits
Make for good pets
Can live in a mixed flock
Display a beautiful array of plumage colors, patterns, and textures
Where to Find Olive Egger Chickens For Sale
Compared to some other chicken breeds, Olive Egger chickens may be trickier to find for purchase. That’s because they are a unique hybrid breed that is not necessarily sold in stores like your local farm supply or animal feed store. You may be better off purchasing from a trusted specialty hatchery, like the Cackle Hatchery.
On the other hand, if you cannot find a reliable source for Oliver Egger chickens and have personal experience with breeding chickens, you can always try breeding a generation of Oliver Eggers!
Want Green Eggs? Raise Olive Egger Chickens!
When it comes to raising chickens, there is so much to look forward to. In my opinion, having access to farm fresh eggs everyday is one ofth best reasons. And the more colorful the eggs, the better!
With an Olive Egger chicken in your flock or better, an entire flock of Olive Eggers, you can gain entry into the wonderful world of green and olive-colored eggs. They’re just as delicious and nutritious as other colored eggs, except they offer a wild splash of color.
If you’re raising eggs for yourself (or your family), green eggs are just a fun way to mix things up. Plus, Olive Eggers make great pets. On the other hand, if you’re raising egg-laying hens as part of a business, olive green eggs are an excellent way to differentiate your product from the competitors.
Give it a shot, and let us know how it goes.
Want to learn more about raising chickens? Be sure to check out these articles!
Subscribe to our email newsletter for regular tips and tricks on homesteading and farming – wherever you are. You can also follow us on Instagram (@jrpiercefamilyfarm) and Pinterest (J&R Pierce Family Farm) for frequent updates. Happy farming!
