On the hunt for a chicken who lays a blue egg? Here is a list of EVERY purebred chicken breed and hybrid (mixed breed) hen that lays a blue egg! Our list makes it easy to decide which type of chicken you want and gives you the knowledge to converse with local breeders confidently about the specific breeds you’d like to purchase. Here is every type of chicken on planet Earth that will lay blue eggs:
Every Chicken Hen Breed & Hybrid that Lays Blue Eggs
Let’s jump right into our list of chickens that will lay beautiful blue eggs for you:
Araucanas
This rare purebred breed is where the blue egg originated, which is believed to have happened because of a genetic mutation. These birds are “rumpless”, which means they have no tail feathers, and they have remarkable looking mustache-like tufts on their cheeks. Today these birds are wildly expensive, coming from a handful of extremely hard to find breeders. They are bred almost exclusively for competing in chicken shows. Araucana hatching eggs are typically the only thing available to order. (This will require that you own an incubator and have the ability to hatch and raise chicks yourself.) Because Araucana breeders have had to focus on both the rumpless + tufted appearance, these birds do not always lay the bluest eggs. Some Araucana eggs are quite light blue in color.
Purebred Ameraucanas
These fluffy faced beauties are desirable purebreds! Ameraucanas are expected to be homozygous for the dominant blue egg gene, which means they carry 2 copies. The breed also comes in several recognized feather colors. In order for the bird to be a purebred Ameraucana it must come from a purebred line homozygous for the blue egg gene and come in a recognized feather color. You can find a list of purebred Ameraucana breeders through the Ameraucana association. Cackle hatchery is one of the only US hatcheries that offers these purebreds but please read the description and reviews for each feather color carefully – some Ameraucana chicks from Cackle will lay greenish colored eggs.
Whiting True Blue
These girls have taken the chicken world by storm. Developed by Tom Whiting of Colorado, they are a recognized purebred that carries 2 dominant blue egg genes. They come in every feather color, including barred, and are currently one of the most sought-after blue egg laying breeds. They are offered exclusively through Murray McMurray hatchery, who partnered with Tom Whiting to make them available to the public a few years ago. These are a personal favorite on our homestead and you can read our Breed Spotlight on Whiting True Blues or view pics of how we use them to create olive eggers.
Crested Cream Legbar
These purebred girls have a distinctive tuft of feathers on their head, called a crest, that give them a unique appearance all their own. All are expected to carry 2 copies of the blue egg gene and lay blue eggs. Sadly, some lines of Crested Cream Legbars are polluted with tint genes and there are green egg layers among them. You’ll need to do your research to find a breeder with a Legbar flock laying 100% vibrant blue eggs.
Opal Legbar
These Crested Legbar girls come in a gorgeous barred lavender feather color that is recessive but will breed true when crossed with other opal Legbars. This makes them different than their Cream Legbar cousins. Opal Legbars lay beautiful blue eggs and are considered a very rare purebred breed.
Frost White Legbar
These gorgeous pure white birds carry two copies of the recessive white feather gene, which gives them all white plumage. Because they are homozygous for the trait, breeding Frost White hens to Frost White roosters will produce Frost White offspring. Frost White Legbars lay blue eggs and are considered a rare breed.
Prairie Bluebell Eggers
This bird is a cutely named hybrid, which is exclusive to Hoover’s Hatchery. Prairie Bluebell Eggers have been so well marketed that people now refer to their trademarked name as if it is a breed. You’ll find breeders offering them by name but you should be aware that as these roosters and hens are bred together, there is believed to be a small chance you may get a white egg layer. (This is because they are a hybrid chicken, not yet expected to breed true like a purebred.) Either way, these birds come in a rainbow of different feather colors, almost always with clean faces, and are expected to lay a very pretty powder blue egg.
Bantam Blue Egg Layers
Bantams are miniature chickens. Among them are purebreds and a few hybrids who will lay blue eggs. Purebred bantam Ameraucanas are expected to lay the bluest eggs while hybrid bantams, like Easter Eggers, may lay blue, green, peach, or cream eggs. Easter Egger Bantam straight run chicks and guaranteed pullets are available from some hatcheries.
Hybrid Blue Egg Laying Chickens:
The word “hybrid” means different types of chicken breeds and/or hybrids have been crossed to create a mixed breed chicken. The word mutt is a little too severe since many of these girls have been bred to lay gorgeous colored eggs. Instead the word hybrid is used but being a hybrid does NOT mean a hen will lay a blue egg. You’ll want to look specifically for hybrid blue egg laying hens and chicks.
Americanas
“Americana” is what Hoover’s Hatchery’s has named their line of bearded Easter Eggers. They have all been bred to have muffs and a beard (fluffy faces) so their hybrid line should breed true for this trait. The spelling of Americana with a letter i is a play on the word Ameraucana, which is how these hybrid birds initially had the blue egg gene bred into their line. Americanas can lay blue, green, or peach (light brown) eggs. Getting an Americana chick does not guarantee it will lay a blue egg although there are blue egg layers among the Americanas. Click to view all the egg colors Hoover’s Americana hens lay.
Easter Eggers
Easter Eggers are America’s most popular hybrid chicken! Any time a chicken carrying at least one blue egg gene is crossed with any other chicken in an attempt to breed a colored egg layer, the resulting offspring is a hybrid called an Easter Egger. Being an Easter Egger does not guarantee the bird will lay a blue egg. (They can lay blue, green, sage, olive, white, cream, peach, pink, or brown eggs.) It is best to specifically request a blue egg laying Easter Egger if you’re hoping for soft blue, aqua or bluey-green eggs. Click to view all the egg colors Easter Egger hens can lay.
Hybrid Easter Eggers
Hyrbid Easter Eggers are often “more clearly labeled” birds. What I said above about Easter Eggers still applies: a chicken carrying at least one blue egg gene crossed with any other chicken in an attempt to breed a colored egg layer is called an Easter Egger. Hybrid Easter Eggers are the result of specific colored egg layer breeding projects an independent breeder is experimenting with. She may sell chicks labeled as Hybrid Easter Eggers to denote they are 1) mixed breed hybrid chickens and 2) expected to lay a colored egg because that is what she is breeding for. These hybrids can come in any feather color and have any type of appearance since they are a mixed breed. Egg color is not expected to be blue unless the breeder clearly indicates all offspring will lay blue eggs. You can learn more about Easter Egger Egg Shell Color Genetics here!
Silkied Easter Eggers
Silkie feather genes have been bred into some Easter Egger lines to produce hybrid hens who lay colored eggs. While blue egg layers exist among Silkied Easter Eggers, there is also a chance that a hen may lay green or peach/cream. Their 3.5 pound body weight makes them smaller than most Easter Eggers but larger than bantam hens.
Blue Egger
This is a popular term for labeling Easter Egger hybrid hens who the breeder or hatchery knows will lay a guaranteed blue egg. The name “Blue Easter Egger” can be shortened to Blue Egger when marketing these chicks. One example is the Cuckoo Bluebar Blue Egger.
Super Blue / Bountiful Blue
This hybrid is offered by MyPetChicken.com who originally named them Super Blue (around 2015) but now the hybrid goes by the name Bountiful Blue. These are generally light colored or white feathered birds who lay a beautiful blue egg. My Pet Chicken selectively bred the brightest blue egg layers together to create hybrid hens who should lay a pretty blue egg. Online images indicate the eggs are similar in blue tones to what Prairie Bluebell Eggers lay.
Steele Egger
This Easter Egger hybrid is offered exclusively by Meyer Hatchery, bred using a recipe from Lisa Steele. The birds can lay blue or green eggs, with a small chance of being a brown layer. You are not guaranteed to get a blue egg layer but reviews indicate a high number of blue egg laying individuals exist. (I believe two of the breeds originally used to create this hybrid likely include Crested Cream Legbars and purebred Ameraucanas.)
Lakeside Egger
These crested & barred beauties are exclusive to Meyer Hatchery, who has bred for a unique looking bird who will only lay blue eggs. This is a hybrid (mixed breed) chicken who will lay blue eggs.
Sapphire Jewel
These fluffy faced, bright white birds are exclusive to Meyer Hatchery who bred them to lay blue eggs. This is a hybrid who does have a chance of laying a whitish or cream egg, according to customer reviews. Frizzle Sapphire Jewel hens also exist!
Lavender Dream Easter Egger
Exclusive to My Pet Chicken, the Lavender Dream Easter Egger has true recessive lavender feathering and lays a blue or bluey-green egg (according to customer reviews). There is always a chance of a peach egg from an Easter Egger but since blue egg layers do exist among this hybrid, we’re including this bearded beauty in our list of blue layers!
Arkansas Blue Chickens
The University of Arkansas developed this blue egg laying hybrid by crossing blue egg laying Araucanas and white egg laying Leghorns. Not many breeders have Arkansas Blue chickens available but they have similar ancestry as Prairie Bluebell Eggers and Whiting True Blues. A small Facebook group is still maintained for this hybrid where you can see pictures of eggs and adults.
Frizzle Easter Eggers
Frizzle Easter Eggers have a different mutation that causes their feathers to curl upwards, giving them a charming bedraggled appearance. Like with any Easter Egger, there is always a chance of a hen laying a green or peach egg but blue egg layers do exist among Frizzle Easter Eggers. Hatcheries and breeders both are selectively breeding for more blue egg layers among them.
Fibro Easter Eggers
Fibro Easter Eggers have inherited the Fibromelanosis genetic mutation pigmentation gene that creates rich black skin. They can be incredibly striking with blue or splash feathers against their charcoal colored legs, beaks and wattles!
Designer Easter Eggers
Each year hatcheries launch brand new blue egg laying hybrids to delight backyard chicken keepers. There seems to be no end to the demand for pretty hens that lay a blue egg! Unique appearances and even wacky plumage are desirable as all types of blue and white egg layers are crossed together to produce blue egger hybrids. The hatcheries have realized that they can set any price they want on an exclusive blood line. Breeders have caught on to this and are also creating their own designer Easter Egger lines! If you’d like to learn how to breed guaranteed blue egg layers or view “breeding recipe cards” showing how to produce blue egg layers, our website is full of helpful info for backyard breeders.
Blue egg Laying Project Breeds & Hybrids
All over the United States and Canada, breeders are experimenting to create beautiful colored egg layers. Many of these girls lay very pretty blue eggs. Once a breeder has established her own breeding project, she is free to name it anything she likes. For example, Coastal Blues from Farmhouse of Blessings and White Wheaten Easter Eggers from Sky Girl Farm. Our own Bright Layer Easter Eggers fall into this category, too. If you’re on the hunt for a blue egg layer and stumble across one of these neat projects, it can be worth giving them a try!
Need more Links to Blue Egg Layer Chicks for Sale?
Our article on Hatcheries with the Best Colored Egg Chicks has a massive collection of links directly to colored egg layer chicks for sale, organized by egg color, and updated regularly. It’s the best way to price and comparison shop for the breeds and hybrids you want!
You Might Also Enjoy Reading:
How do Blue & Green Eggs Taste?
When do Easter Eggers Start Laying Eggs?
How to Get a Rainbow Egg Laying Flock
Chicken Egg Colors by Breed (50+ egg images labeled by the breed who laid each)
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