A chicken that lays olive green eggs, is the product of a cross between a hen and rooster that are from a brown egg and a blue egg laying breed. All eggs start out white in color; those that are laid in shades other than white have pigments deposited on them as the eggs travel through the hen’s oviduct.
Ameraucana birds have the pigment oocyanin deposited on the egg as it travels through the oviduct. This pigment permeates the egg shell resulting in the interior and exterior of the egg being the same blue color. Chickens that lay brown tinted eggs deposit the pigment protoporphyrin on the eggs late in the process of forming the shell. The pigment therefore does not penetrate the interior of the egg, but tints only the surface of the egg, which is why brown eggs are white on the interior. In the case of an Olive Egger, a brown pigment overlays a blue egg shell resulting in a green egg. Green eggs are blue inside due to the oocyanin penetrating the outer shell.
Our most rare color, lavender, is created from our Midnight Majesty Maran hen. This color is different from the other colors. The lavender is created by a deeper "bloom" produced by the hen at the time of laying. The bloom is the protective cover that surrounds the entire egg, including the small pores.
The bloom prevents bacteria from getting inside the egg. It is made up of egg proteins, lipids, glycoproteins, and calcium carbonate. The bloom helps to keep the egg fresh by providing moisture inside the egg. Some hens, especially Marans it seems, produce a deeper bloom that tints the brown egg various shades of plum or purple.
It is important to note that no chicken naturally lays a purple or lavender egg. The color is an illusion created by the bloom over a brown egg. Some chickens produce more of a bloom than others and it is never predictable. This is why it is the rarest color we produce.
Learn more about purple eggs >>
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