I ’m certain we all think back the Dr. Suess childhood classic – Green Eggs and Ham . Well , we ’ve finally got genuine greenish eggs to go with our jambon . Ok , so the inside of the egg is n’t green . That would be a short stark . This fleeceable shell is absolutely gorgeous and I just love adding some splatter of color to my ballock cartonful .
About Olive Egger Chickens
Olive Eggers are actually not a strain accepted by the American Poultry Association . In fact , they are n’t even a rightful stock . Olive Egger chickens are a loanblend created by crossing a dingy bollock layer with a dark brown eggs stratum . Popular breeds used in spawn Olive Eggers includeAmeraucanas , Marans , Legbars , andWelsummers .
Olive Egger Chicken Characteristics
Before we plunk in , a prompt short letter about Olive Eggers . Since there are several different breeds than can be included in Olive Egger lineage , not every Olive Egger is quite the same .
You ca n’t get one standard and use it across the board for all Olive Eggers . I will let in the dissimilar characteristics based on the dissimilar breed normally used in Olive Egger breeding .
However , if you recognize what breed are in your Olive Eggers , I would give notice you to research those breeds to get a better theme what your birds will be like .
1. Size and Weight
For the most part , Olive Eggers are not especially with child chickens . The average weight you ’ll obtain in Olive Egger hens ranges between 6 and 7 British pound sterling . For roosters , 7 - 8 pound is about the weight you could look .
If an Ameraucana is in the crossing , the bird might be a turn smaller . If Marans are in the cross , the raspberry could be slightly larger .
2. Temperament
Olive Eggers are generally very docile and favorable chicken . If Welsummers are in the mixture , your Olive Eggers will likely be especially intelligent chickens . Olive Eggers have a high chance of being somewhat pondering chicken . Roosters are calm and gentle , but make good flock protectors .
3. Egg Production
Olive Eggers have fairly good egg production , averaging about 150 - 160 eggs per yr . If there is Ameraucana stemma in the Olive Egger , production will most likely be a minuscule bit high .
4. Meat Production
While Olive Egger chickens are n’t optimal for meat production , they not poor producers . specially in font where Marans are used in the fostering since Marans are larger birds .
Breeding Olive Eggers can be rather fun and addicting to breed . If you get hold yourself with too many roosters , as most stock breeder do , a few cockerels will plump out up nicely for the freezer .
Taking Care of Olive Egger Chickens
1. Feeding and Nutritional Needs
One thing that is certain about Olive Eggers is they sure enjoy to corrode . No matter what breed are in their screen background , their nutritional need are the same . From hatch to 16 weeks of age , provide your young birds with a high qualitychick freshman / grower .
briefly before your hen begin laying nut , transition them to a complete laying feed . leave supplemental atomic number 20 so your beautiful dark-green eggs have strong shield .
2. Housing and Fencing
Olive Eggers are not fantastically demanding as far as space requirement go . In thecoop , 4 square feet per hoot is pile of space . If you prefer to keep your chickens in a run or else of devoid ranging , 10 square feet per bird is adequate room for your Olive Eggers .
3. Health Issues and Care
Olive Eggers are intelligent and vigorous birds that are n’t especially susceptible to manyhealth issues .
Some Olive Eggers will have feather legs , and you ’ll need to keep an eye out for scaly leg mites on those birds . Any birds can getscaly leg mites , but keep an eye out for these pesky minuscule birds on your feathered leg Olive Eggers .
4. Breeding
There are few fostering labor you will find more exciting than breeding Olive Eggers . There ’s a myriad of outcomes when breeding Olive Eggers and some of them can be frustrating , but some can be absolutely spectacular .
If you are interested in breeding for dark olive eggs , it gets even more exciting . Crossing a blue egg stratum and drab egg stratum results in a first generation Olive Egger , also know as an F1 Olive Egger . If you breed an F1 Olive Egger back to a dark egg layer , you make a F2 Olive Egger , which will ( hopefully ) lay a darker egg than her female parent .
This process can be parallel multiple time , live through the generations to produce F3 , F4 and even F9 Olive Eggers . With each generation , your egg gets darker and the process can get even more complex and eggciting . ( excuse the wordplay )
You may be wonder why Easter Eggers are n’t included in the leaning of chickens commonly used to breed Olive Eggers . After all , they are some of the most popular blue egg layers . While Easter Eggers can be used in Olive Egger bringing up , they are not preferable . Easter Eggerscarry some brown egg genes .
This is why not every Easter Egger is guarantee to lay colored bollock . Even if a particular hen lay colorful eggs , she might not pass a coloured egg gene . Therefore , using an Easter Egger could result in an Olive Egger , or a chocolate-brown egg put down hen , calculate on the genes she passes .
Breed Alternatives
1. Easter Eggers
WhileEaster Eggersare not guaranteed to lay green eggs , they are an gratifying strain . Easter Eggers lay a large number of unlike shaded egg and it ’s always fun to see what pops out . You will find similar breed characteristics in Easter Eggers as you would in Olive Eggers , making them a squeamish alternative to Olive Eggers .
2. Ameraucanas
Ameraucanachickens might not set dark-green eggs , but they are just as fun to raise as Olive Eggers . These beautiful bird place gorgeous blue eggs and have many breed similarities to Olive Eggers . If you ’re concerned in a breeding task as merriment as Olive Eggers , Ameraucanas will certainly fit the bill .
Few things are more exciting than gathering European olive tree unripe gems from the nest boxes and playing around with orchis color genetics . I call back you ’ll find these wizardly birds fun and full of personality , a welcome accession to any chicken curtilage .
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