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Choosing Chicks for a Colorful Egg Basket

Raising chickens is one of the most rewarding parts of having a little homestead and it’s amazing to see theย beauty God created for us in nature by collecting a basket of fresh, colorful eggs every day!ย 

Choosing Chicks for Colorful EGG BASKET-2

I may be compensated for some items linked in this post at no extra cost to you.ย 

Fresh eggs are so nutritious and tasty, they’re a necessity on any little homestead. ย And you can always tell if eggs come from truly free ranged, home raised hens by looking at the yolks – they’re bright yellowish orange, indicative of a carotenoid rich diet. ย So pretty! ย But this post is mainly about the pretty colors of the egg shells of different breeds.

free range egg yolk

[free range egg + avocado toast with balsamic]

You can get these pretty, nutritious orange yolks from any kind of laying hen, the color of the egg shell doesn’t affect the nutrition or taste at all!

However, I personally think collecting a basket full of colorful eggs is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of having a little homestead – especially for kids. ย Mine look so forward to gathering eggs each day to line them up and examine them different spots, speckles, blooms, and shades.

speckled eggs

[speckled & bloomed eggs]

green eggs

[all of these were laid by the same hen over a week’s time]

There are many type of chickens to choose from to have a good variety of colored egg layers. ย But in this post I’m just going to share some of my favorites and a few new types I’m ordering this year to add some beautiful, new colors to our egg collection.

Note: ย Buying chicks for a colorful egg basket will be more pricey, and they may not be quite as productive (although several of my colored egg layers do lay daily) – so if you’re just wanting efficiency, high production, readily available, heritage breeds are probably the best bet. ย They’re cheap to buy at local farm supply stores and produce reliably!

My picks for a fun variety of pretty hens by egg color

All hatcheries linked

Whites – Leghorn, Polish

Tinted – Silver Dorkings, Double Silver Laced Barnevelder,ย Silkies

Blues – Lavender Ameraucana, Alchemist Blue,ย Easter Egger

Bright Blue – Azure Egger

Greens – Olive Egger, Moss Egger, Sage Egger,ย Isbar

Light Browns – Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte’s,ย Barred Rock, Naked Necks,ย Buff Orpington

Dark Browns – French Black Copper Marans, Wellsummer

Chocolate – Coco Egger

colorful eggs

Just pick one or two breeds from each color in the list and you’re all set! ย I’ll be rounding out our flock this spring with some new chicks. ย And I can’t wait to see what pretty colorful eggs we get from the new additions!

-Steph

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