Home » Articles about chickens » Breeds of chickens with blue eggs
Breeds of chickens with blue eggs are few in number and therefore are of particular interest. The colored shell does not impart any unique properties to the product - despite the “Easter” appearance, the eggs do not differ in taste and composition from ordinary eggs.
Reasons for the formation of colored shells
Chickens that lay blue and green eggs have a specific gene SLCO1B3 with the endogenous retrovirus EAV-HP built into it. This gene affects the transport of bile acids. The green color is formed by the action of biliverdin and oocyanin. Since this happens at the initial stages of shell formation, it is stained throughout its entire thickness.
The mechanism for coloring brown eggs is completely different. The colored layer is formed under the influence of protoporphyrin - it is produced by the cells of the oviduct. When an egg passes through it, the shell is stained only on the outside; the inside remains white.
In both cases, we cannot talk about the constancy of the resulting shade. Its saturation depends on the rate of shell formation, the age of the hen, the breed of bird, the time of year and other factors.
Breeding
Due to the fact that in the course of numerous selection processes, Araucanian chickens have lost their natural brooding instinct, the processes for breeding them have become somewhat more complicated.
However, there are other difficulties, especially if the Araucana chicken lacks a caudal vertebra and tail, which creates an additional barrier to fertilization of the egg. For this reason, experienced poultry farmers who are seriously involved in raising this breed know the main features of their breeding, which differ in specific nuances. Usually, after a hen reaches puberty, chicken breeders cut off all her feathers in the cloaca area to make the task as easy as possible for the leader of the Araucana family.
Read also: Frost-resistant breeds of chickens - description and photo of laying hens
It has been established that if a purebred Araucana rooster impregnates an ordinary laying hen, she will begin to produce eggs with a bluish tint, but the chickens from such a union will not be purebred.
Araucana
This breed of chicken has been known since ancient times - the first mention dates back to 1526. Origin: South America, named after an Indian tribe. Araucanas appeared in Europe in the 19th century. Since then, breeding work has been carried out to improve them, which made it possible to obtain several subspecies, including the dwarf one.
Birds have a varied appearance - it depends on where the selection was carried out. German Araucanas do not have a tail - they lack a tailbone. Birds of English and American selection have a tail. The type of plumage on the head also depends on the subspecies. The standards allow the presence of:
- barbs and feather tufts growing from the ears;
- goatees and sideburns.
Araucanians have a compact body with a convex chest. The neck is thick, the head is small, the crest is pisiform. The legs are strong, the paws are four-toed, and the wings are small. The plumage can have different colors - the most common Araucanas are white, black, black-red, golden, and wheaten.
The birds have a calm character. Productivity is average. Chickens weigh about 1.4-1.6 kg, roosters - 2 kg. Over the course of a year, laying hens lay up to 180 eggs with blue or greenish shells. Weight 1 pc. – 50 g. Maternal instinct preserved.
song thrush
So far there is one explanation for this coloration of eggs. The blue color of the eggs does not allow ultraviolet rays to pass through, which destroy the DNA of the chicks, but infrared radiation perfectly passes through such a shell and heats the eggs, accelerating the growth process of the chicks.
Blackbirds prefer to build nests in trees or dense thickets. They build nests from veto, moss and grass. The finished blackbird nest is coated with clay to enhance its strength.
In one clutch, the female thrush lays up to five eggs. She incubates them on her own for ten days. After hatching from the egg, the chicks are fed insects and berries. Already at the age of fourteen days, thrush chicks become more or less independent.
These birds adapt well to different living conditions. They can live calmly in the city and are not afraid of people.
The diet of song thrushes is quite varied and differs depending on the habitat and time of year.
The main dish for most of the year for blackbirds is worms. In autumn they feed on seeds and snails, flies, and spiders.
Ameraucana
This breed of chicken, which lays blue eggs, was bred in North America based on the Araucanian and American chickens. Birds have a harmonious physique. The metatarsus are not feathered, the paws are four-toed. The neck is of medium length, the head is decorated with sideburns and a beard - feathers grow in tufts. The comb is pisiform. The standards allow 8 color options. The most common chickens are white, black, wheat, and blue. The color of the metatarsus differs among different subspecies. General characteristics: white skin on the pads of the feet and toes.
The weight of Ameraucana hens and roosters is 2.5 and 3 kg, respectively. The meat is very tasty. Puberty occurs at 5-6 months. Egg productivity - 200-250 eggs per year weighing 60 g. The shell color is most often green or blue, but can also be brown-red.
What are the colors of eggs in different breeds of chickens?
The most common eggs are white, beige and brown, with or without dots and speckles. But there are many chickens in the world that lay colored products. The shell can be green, blue, turquoise, yellow, olive, salad and other original colors. Since the nutrition of laying hens affects the taste, but not the color, eggs of any color are used in cooking.
Blue chicken eggs - a genetic mystery
The benefits of taking a colored product are high. It contains important B vitamins, retinol, vitamin C, micro- and macroelements (magnesium, selenium, potassium), amino acids.
Important! It is better not to eat soft-boiled blue eggs. They are often infected with salmonellosis. Therefore, deep heat treatment is required.
Grünleger
The list of chicken breeds that lay blue eggs includes the Grunleger. The breed originates from Austria. The selection is based on Araucanas, as well as local hybrids. The birds have a dense build with a convex chest. The paws are of medium length, the metatarsals are not feathered. The neck is thickened due to the mane. There is a beard. The comb is leaf-shaped. Chickens weigh 1.8 kg, roosters - up to 2.5 kg. Number of eggs per year – 300 pcs. weighing up to 60 g. Various colors. The color of the shell is blue, olive, turquoise.
Content Features
The breed is distinguished by its unpretentiousness: it tolerates climate change well and withstands winter cold. It is not recommended to keep Araucanas together with other breeds; roosters are highly aggressive and can attack other birds and even people. Laying hens, on the contrary, are quiet and calm. Birds love to clean their feathers, so it is advisable to provide them with a sufficient amount of ash to do this.
Chickens almost completely lack the brooding instinct, so the eggs need to be incubated.
Incubation conditions do not differ from traditional ones. In the absence of an incubator, it is possible to place eggs under another chicken.
Conditions of detention
Birds of the Chilean breed are kept in small families in cages or aviaries. One cage can accommodate one chicken family of three individuals. One rooster and 2-3 hens are placed in such cages.
When kept in enclosures, you can place one rooster with 7 females. Araucanas are poor fliers, so coop ceilings can be very low.
To feed in the natural environment, it is necessary to provide the birds with free range. They are excellent foragers and will find their own food in the form of insects and grass if the area is of sufficient size. However, it is important to ensure that there are no poisonous plants in the walking area.
Room
To keep Araucanas, it is necessary to provide a moderately warm, spacious room with constant lighting. When keeping several subspecies, it is necessary to allocate a separate room for each of them. In addition to keeping them in cages or enclosures, the floor method with free range is allowed.
In winter, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the chicken coop above -6°C.
When the temperature drops, chickens can get sick, which significantly reduces productivity. Therefore, during severe winters, it will be necessary to provide heating for the premises.
Diet of adult chickens
For Araucanas, it is necessary to strictly dose the amount of food. Overfeeding of livestock leads to obesity in the maternal flock, a decrease in the number of eggs and deterioration in productivity. Aurakans do not tend to gain meat due to the increase in the amount of feed.
Chickens of this breed are unpretentious; regular feed will suit them. However, the diet needs to be varied. The best choice for adult chickens would be the following daily diet:
- Crushed feed chalk - 4 g.
- Boiled potatoes – 90 g.
- Wet mash – 30 g.
- Grain mixtures – 130 g.
- A small amount of bone meal, yeast nutrition, salt.
Be sure to read:
Amrox breed of chickens: characteristics and detailed description of this breed!
Chicken diet
Cuckoo Araucana chicken
For the first seven days, chickens are fed finely chopped boiled eggs mixed with small cereals. You can add fermented milk products to your diet - low-fat cottage cheese is especially useful. After the second day of life, you can give the chicks chopped greens. In the second week of life, chickens begin to be switched to combined feed.
Olive Eggers
Interbreed hybrids obtained with the participation of the Araucana, Ameraucana, and Marano breeds are known under this name. Birds have lush plumage - it can have different shades. There is a beautiful mane on the neck. There is a goatee and sideburns. The comb is small. The character of chickens is calm and fearless. Egg production – 200 pcs. Weight – 65 g. The shell is blue, olive or turquoise.
Appearance and varieties of birds
Different subspecies of araucana - chickens
Wild Araucana - rooster and hens
Wheaten and silver-necked araucana
The Ameraucana breed and its eggs are blue. Creamy white
Uheiliyuy
Birds are unique - in addition to laying eggs with unusually colored shells, they have other features. The plumage, skin, meat, eyes and even bones of the eel are black. The feathers have a beautiful green tint, the comb is leaf-shaped, with a purple tint. In roosters it is large, in females it is small.
The bird's body is compact, the chest and wings are well developed. The tail is long. Paws of medium length, black and gray. Adults weigh 1.5-2 kg. The meat is very tasty and healthy. Sexual maturity occurs at 6-8 months. Egg production -160-180 pcs. (48-53 g). The shell is bluish-green.
Nutrition
The diet of laying hens of unusual eggs should be complete and balanced. It should be based on grains and legumes, herbs, vegetables and root vegetables. Ground shell rock, boiled fish, meat and bone meal, as well as industrial vitamin and mineral complexes are useful additives for chickens to increase egg production and the nutritional value of produced eggs. As a rule, all varieties of such chickens are able to feed themselves on the range, foraging their own food.
Shell as a mineral supplement for chickens. What is the benefit, at what age and in what form can it be given?
Look
Chalk as a feed additive for chickens - why is it needed?
Read
Feeding chickens with barley: can it be given to broilers?
More details
Using whey as a source of animal protein
Read
Eggshells in the diet of chickens and chickens. How to give correctly?
More details
How to give fish oil to chickens, layers and broilers?
Look
Feed tricalcium phosphate for adult chickens, chicks and broilers
Further
Xin xin yayan
The bird's body is graceful, the tail is raised high in relation to the back. The neck is of medium length. The comb is leaf-shaped, large. The color can be tan, red or black. The last option looks the most impressive. Chickens weigh 1.2-1.5 kg, roosters - 1.8-2 kg. Egg production – up to 200 pcs. Sexual maturity occurs at 4.5-5 months. The shell color is bluish, green or olive. The character is calm.
Diseases
Failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic standards in poultry premises can lead to infection of livestock with parasitic and infectious diseases, such as salmonellosis. Young laying hens that have recently reached sexual maturity and started laying eggs are susceptible to cloacitis.
Symptoms of acute and permanent forms of the disease, treatment and prevention
Salmonellosis
Inflammatory disease of chickens caused by errors in feeding and maintenance
Cloacite
Excellent 1
Liuyang Wuji
This breed of chicken lays blue eggs. It is considered one of the oldest - known for more than 1600 years. Like the Wuheiliu, the Liuyang Wuji has black skin, feathers, meat, bones, and internal organs. The birds have an almost square body, a high tail, a long neck, and muscular thick legs. The comb and beard are fleshy, black or purple. The wings are strong. Roosters fatten up to 2.8 kg, chickens – up to 2.5 kg. The meat is juicy, tender, healthy. Egg production – up to 140 pcs. (55-60 g).
Rich colors
On the Internet you can find videos and photographs of the rich blue or purple color of chicken egg shells. Often it's just a fake. Although these eggs are real.
Source:
If I'm wrong and someday I happen to hatch a hen that lays eggs with deep purple or blue shells, I'll have to stand over her with a camera for the entire two hours she lays eggs to capture the proof. In the meantime, I suggest doing the same to everyone who posts this.
That's all, friends. You can start throwing stones.
