The Flock · A field guide
Chickens that lay
green and olive eggs.
Explore the breeds and crosses behind green shells.
3common breeds
to compare
3rarer breeds
in the records
Choosing your flock
How green and olive fit into the flock.
Green and olive eggs are the arithmetic of eggshell colour: a blue shell with brown pigment brushed over it. The bird has to inherit the blue gene from one parent and a brown-laying line from the other, which is why "olive egger" describes a cross rather than a stable heritage breed. The darker the brown parent, the deeper the olive.
These 6 breeds and lines lay green to olive. Olive Egger and Whiting True Green are the reliable picks; a true Easter-egger basket comes from keeping several colour genes in one flock. For the darkest olive, cross a Marans (see the dark-brown page) onto an Ameraucana yourself — the result is the deepest egg most flocks will ever produce.
The breed records
Compare the breeds.
3 breeds, with the details that matter for this guide.
Swipe across the table to see every detail.
| Breed | Egg colour | Eggs / year | Temperament | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiting True Green | Green | 280–320 | Active, friendly | Standard |
| Starlight Green Egger | Green | 260–280 | Active, easygoing | Standard |
| Olive Egger | Olive green | 150–200 | Friendly, docile | Standard |
Rarer breeds that also fit
These match too, but few or no US hatcheries stock them — expect a breeder waitlist.
Schijndelaar · Isbar (Silverudd's Blue) · Javanaise
Breed facts from our open chicken-breed database, cross-checked against US hatchery listings, the Livestock Conservancy’s 2026 priority list and the American Poultry Association. Lay rates are a healthy hen’s good year, not a guarantee.