Easter Egger or Olive Egger, which should you hatch or buy?

Both of these are mixed birds bred for colorful eggs, and both come with a bit of mystery. The Easter Egger carries the blue egg gene and lays blue, green or sometimes tinted eggs. The Olive Egger is usually a cross between a blue egg layer and a dark brown egg layer, so its eggs come out olive.

Pick by goal

• Egg color. Want blue to light green? Easter Egger. Want olive or deep green? Olive Egger.
• Egg numbers. Both are usually good layers. Easter Eggers have a reputation for being steady and reliable.
• Temperament. Easter Eggers are typically friendly and curious. Olive Eggers vary based on their parents.
• Kids. Both can be good. Easter Eggers are the more predictable pick.
• Climate. Many Easter Eggers have pea combs that hold up well in cold. Olive Eggers may have a single or pea comb depending on parents.
• Meat. Neither is a meat bird. Olive Eggers with Marans in them may be a bit larger.
• Noise. Both are moderate.

Together in one flock

They get along well, since both are usually easygoing. Together they give you a wide spread of blues, greens and olives. Because both vary in looks, you may need leg bands to keep track of who lays what.

The genetics that decide it

Blue eggs come from a dominant gene that puts color through the whole shell. Brown is a coating added at the end. An Easter Egger with a little brown in its background lays green. An Olive Egger has a heavier brown parent, so the coat is thicker and the egg is darker. If you want to hatch your own Olive Eggers, cross a blue layer with a dark brown layer such as a Marans. Using a blue parent with two copies of the blue gene means every daughter lays a blue-based egg. The green egg guide explains the shade range.

Other deciding factors

Availability. Easter Eggers are easy to find at most hatcheries. Olive Eggers are increasingly available, or you can make your own.

Predictability. Neither breeds true. Each hen's egg color is a surprise until she starts laying.

Common questions about Easter Eggers vs Olive Eggers

Is an Olive Egger a type of Easter Egger?

They overlap. Both carry the blue egg gene. Olive Eggers usually have a dark brown egg parent, which gives olive shells.

Can an Easter Egger lay olive eggs?

Some do, if they inherited enough brown egg genes.

What rooster makes Olive Eggers?

Either parent can carry the genes. A common route is a dark egg Marans rooster over blue egg hens, or the reverse.