 | Your eyes are not deceiving you, that really is a blue egg! Two of our hens, Rosemary and Curry, are Americauna hens, which lay eggs that have a blue shell. Pictured here is an egg from Blanche Devereaux (our large brown egg layer), and one from Rosemary (who has only laid two eggs in her whole life so far!). So why are eggs different colors? |
Egg shell color is determined by chicken genetics. All other parts of the egg are exactly the same, with the exception of the shell pigment. Dependent on the chicken breed (or cross breed), eggs can range in color from white, to green, to dark brown, pink, blue, and every color in between (although grey and lavender are pretty rare).
The Kiddie Science Lab flock has two Americauna hens, which look very different from each other. Americauna chickens are originally from Chile and have been bred to maintain the blue eggshell pigment while losing certain genetic traits that made them susceptible to illness. Over time, Americauna chickens have developed a variety of colors and patterns, with some having face "beards" of extra feathers much like our Rosemary. Although the two chickens below look very different, they are the exact same breed.
The Kiddie Science Lab flock has two Americauna hens, which look very different from each other. Americauna chickens are originally from Chile and have been bred to maintain the blue eggshell pigment while losing certain genetic traits that made them susceptible to illness. Over time, Americauna chickens have developed a variety of colors and patterns, with some having face "beards" of extra feathers much like our Rosemary. Although the two chickens below look very different, they are the exact same breed.
 This is Rosemary. |  This is Curry. |
When expanding the Lab flock, we took great care in choosing hens that were winter hardy and could tolerate New York City summers. In addition to their gorgeous blue eggs, Americauna hens are docile and can easily tolerate northeastern weather. As part of our flock, they help create a rainbow of eggs that engage us in scientific and societal discussions.
A few things to know:
Roosters (male chickens) are illegal in the five boroughs, so all our chickens are hens (female chickens). Even without a male, once mature, all female chickens lay one egg roughly every twenty-five hours. These are the eggs we buy at the store and consume. All our hens are at or near maturity, so they lay an egg just about every day. The egg is created the same way and contains all the same parts. The only difference is the eggshell pigment, which is determined by the chickens' genetics.
A few things to know:
Roosters (male chickens) are illegal in the five boroughs, so all our chickens are hens (female chickens). Even without a male, once mature, all female chickens lay one egg roughly every twenty-five hours. These are the eggs we buy at the store and consume. All our hens are at or near maturity, so they lay an egg just about every day. The egg is created the same way and contains all the same parts. The only difference is the eggshell pigment, which is determined by the chickens' genetics.
