Our Bright Layer Easter Egger Breeding Project: How it Began
After growing tired of hatchery Americanas and Easter Eggers that laid muted green or boring peach eggs, we stared a 4-H breeding project to produce hens that laid only blue or green eggs. Using Whiting True Blue, Prairie Bluebell and Americana genetics, we selected only the most vibrant blue and green egg layers to breed. What resulted was a generation of gorgeous offspring we nicknamed Bright Layers. These Easter Egger hybrids carry the ability to lay eye-catching eggs while maintaining the classic Americana look with pea combs and fluffy faces.
We used Whiting True Blue roosters over Prairie Bluebell Eggers, light green and the lightest peachy cream laying Americana hens. Because Whiting True Blue roosters carry two copies of the blue egg gene, peach or brown layers in the offspring would be impossible. The most vibrant blue and unique green layers from this generation were kept and bred forward, ever enhancing the shades of blue we could produce. Mint Ice Cream shades are obtained by crossing our lightest cream egg laying Americana hens with Whiting True Blue roosters to produce offspring that all lay green eggs. The faint cream overlay allows more of the vibrant blue to show through, giving the shells fantastic pastel shades.
Hen Size & Characteristics
Bright Layer hens are broad across the shoulders and tail, being productive layers of 280 large colored eggs per year. In our opinion, these hens have it all: good looks, nice body size, stunning egg colors and hybrid vigor that make them healthier, longer lived and heavier layers than dual purpose breeds. Plus the pullets come in a huge array of feather colors beyond the Americana chipmunk tones common to hatchery offerings. Bright Layers can have clean or bearded faces but I prefer to breed for those cute fluffy cheeks!
Obtaining these egg colors by random chance from hatchery Americanas or Easter Eggers is becoming increasingly rare. If your family wants guaranteed blue and green egg layers, breeding your own Bright Layers is a great choice!
Here are some pictures of our Bright Layer Easter Egger chicks. They hatched from blue, green, and peach eggs and can come in every color imaginable!
