Olive Egger
Chicken
The Olive Egger isn't a breed at all but a deliberate cross: a dark-brown-egg layer such as a Marans or Welsummer over a blue-egg bird like an Ameraucana or Legbar, so the brown pigment washes over a blue shell and comes out olive. Shade depends entirely on the parents — anything from mossy sage to deep army green — and each hen lays her own single color for life. They're hardy, calm, generally good layers, and inherit whatever body type the parents contribute, so appearance varies bird to bird. A fun, forgiving pick for anyone who wants an unusual egg basket without a rare-breed price.
Weight
How to spot it
- Comb
Pea
Single - Usually pea or single, depending on the parents
- Earlobes
- Red
- Legs & feet
- Varies with the cross — commonly slate or willow
- Look for
- There is no reliable visual mark — the olive egg is the only proof, so identify it by the egg, not the bird
Ancestry
How this breed was developed. Historical records, not crosses to make today.
- Bred from
Maran
Welsummer
Ameraucana
Legbar
A dark-brown-egg layer (Marans or Welsummer) over a blue-egg bird (Ameraucana or Legbar) — one from each pair, not all four.
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