Olive Egger Chickens: Complete Guide

Nothing livens up an egg basket like a few olive green eggs. Olive Eggers are hybrid chickens bred for exactly that. They're friendly, hardy and colorful, often with fluffy beards, and they lay about 200 eggs a year in shades from sage to deep olive.

This guide explains where olive eggs come from, the Olive Egger varieties we offer, and how to raise them in the Mid-Atlantic.

Quick facts

Egg color	Olive green, shade varies
Egg size	Medium to large
Eggs per year	About 200
First eggs	About 20–24 weeks
Adult hen weight	About 4.5–5.5 lbs
Temperament	Docile, easygoing
Cold hardy	Yes
Heat tolerance	Good with shade
Type	Hybrid, not a standard breed
Looks	Varied colors, often beards and muffs

What is an Olive Egger?

An Olive Egger is a cross between a blue egg layer and a dark brown egg layer. The blue parent is usually an Easter Egger, Ameraucana or Cream Legbar. The brown parent is often a Marans or Welsummer. Because Olive Eggers are a cross, they aren't a recognized standard breed, and birds can vary in color, size and look.

Why are Olive Egger eggs green?

A blue egg is blue all the way through the shell. A brown egg is white inside, with brown pigment added on the outside in the last hours before it's laid. An Olive Egger hen lays a blue shell and then coats it in brown, and blue plus brown makes olive green. The more brown pigment a hen adds, the darker the olive.

That's why shades vary from hen to hen, and why an occasional Olive Egger lays a brown egg. Learn how they compare with other colored egg layers in our guide to Easter Egger vs Olive Egger chicks and our chicken egg color chart.

Olive Egger varieties

• Olive Egger: colorful, varied birds with beards and muffs, laying about 200 large olive eggs a year.
• Blue Olive Egger: soft blue feathers, sometimes with a small crest, laying medium olive eggs.
• Onyx Olive Egger: mostly black with coppery accents, laying large eggs in one of the darkest olive shades we offer.

Eggs and laying

Olive Eggers are good layers, with about 200 eggs a year, starting at about 20–24 weeks. Like their dark-egg parents, many lay their deepest color at the start of a laying season. Pair them with blue egg layers like Ameraucanas and dark layers like Marans for a basket of blue, olive and chocolate eggs.

Temperament and personality

Olive Eggers are generally docile and easygoing. Many inherit the curious, friendly nature of Easter Eggers and the calm of Marans. They mix well into backyard flocks and are a good fit for families. Every bird looks a little different, which many keepers enjoy.

Raising Olive Eggers in the Mid-Atlantic

Olive Eggers are cold hardy, and birds with beards, muffs and small combs handle winter especially well. Keep the coop dry, draft-free and ventilated, and keep water from freezing.

They also tolerate heat well when they have shade, airflow and cool water, which helps through humid Eastern Shore summers. For more, read the best chicken breeds for Maryland, Virginia and Delaware weather.

Space, feed and care

• Brooder: keep chicks warm, dry and draft-free for the first several weeks. Our guide to how to set up a brooder for baby chicks walks you through it.
• Coop space: plan on at least 4 square feet per bird inside the coop and about 10 square feet per bird in the run.
• Roosts and nests: one nest box for every four or five hens, and enough roost space for everyone to sleep side by side.
• Feed: chick starter from day one, grower feed from about 8 weeks, then layer feed with oyster shell on the side once they start laying.
• Beards and muffs: nipple or cup waterers help keep fluffy faces clean and dry.
• Lifespan: with good care, many Olive Eggers live 6–8 years.

Sizing your flock? Read how many chickens should I get? and day-old chicks vs started pullets.

Frequently asked questions

Will every Olive Egger hen lay green eggs?

Most will. Shade varies from bird to bird, and an occasional hen lays brown eggs.

How many eggs does an Olive Egger lay?

About 200 eggs a year.

When do Olive Eggers start laying?

Usually at about 20–24 weeks.

Is an Olive Egger a breed?

No. It's a cross between a blue egg layer and a dark brown egg layer, so birds vary in color and look.

What's the difference between an Olive Egger and an Easter Egger?

Easter Eggers usually lay blue or green eggs. Olive Eggers add dark brown egg genes, which gives a deeper olive shade.

Are Olive Eggers friendly?

Yes. They're generally docile and easygoing and fit well in family flocks.

Ordering Olive Egger chicks from Chesapeake

All chick orders are pre-orders by hatch date. Shipped chicks travel by USPS Priority Mail to your local post office for pickup, and the post office calls when they arrive. Most breeds have a 6-chick minimum for shipping, and you can mix breeds that ship the same week. Olive Eggers are available for shipping only and aren't part of Free local pickup. To pick up breeds marked Free local pickup, place a separate order for them. Marek's vaccination is optional and can be added in your cart, and every order is backed by our live arrival guarantee.

See chick shipping rates and times and free local pickup details, read when to order baby chicks, or compare all of our chicken breeds.

Shop Olive Egger chicks · Shop Blue Olive Egger chicks · Shop Onyx Olive Egger chicks