Moss Egger Vs Olive Egger: Unraveling The Green Egg Mystery For Your Flock

Maud Padberg 15 Jul 2025

If you're someone who just loves the idea of a colorful egg basket, you've probably heard a lot of talk about chickens that lay green eggs. It's a really popular thing right now, and for good reason! The range of truly beautiful, earthy tones a hen can lay is, you know, quite interesting. So, it's almost like a little treasure hunt every morning when you check the nesting boxes. People get very excited about these shades, and it’s a big part of why backyard chicken keeping has grown so much.

Two terms you see quite a bit in this amazing world of rainbow egging chickens are, basically, “easter egger” and “olive egger.” These are, in a way, catchy color terms for mixed breed chickens who can lay green eggs. They aren't, like, official breeds at all. They're more like designer crosses, purposefully bred for just one thing: to give you those lovely green eggs. It's all about getting that specific shell color, which is pretty neat when you think about it.

But then, you might also hear about "moss eggers," and that's where things can get a little bit confusing, isn't it? People often ask, "What exactly is the difference between an olive egger and a moss egger?" Well, we're going to break it all down for you today, so you can really get a handle on these wonderful birds and their unique egg colors. We’ll look at what makes each one special, and how you might even get these beautiful eggs in your own backyard.

The Allure of Green Eggs: Why We Love Them So Much
What Exactly is an Olive Egger?
- The Olive Egger Egg: Shades of Green
- Breeding Olive Eggers for Consistent Color
Moss Eggers: Deeper, Darker Greens
Moss Egger vs. Olive Egger: The Key Differences
Choosing Your Green Egg Layer
Beyond the Basics: F3 Olive Eggers and More
Frequently Asked Questions

The Allure of Green Eggs: Why We Love Them So Much

There's something truly special about opening your egg carton and seeing a variety of colors, isn't there? It’s not just about the taste of the egg, which is, you know, always great from a backyard hen. It’s also about the visual appeal, the sheer joy of gathering eggs that look like little jewels. Green eggs, in particular, really catch the eye and make a breakfast plate feel extra fancy. They add a bit of magic to the everyday, so it's understandable why so many folks are drawn to them.

The point of having an easter egger, a moss egger, or an olive egger is that they all have a blue shell gene present. This means that the result is some shade of green egg. That's the basics of the genetics, actually. Without that blue egg gene, you just wouldn't get the green, you'd get something else entirely. So, it's all about how those genes mix and match to give us these wonderful hues.

People are always looking for ways to get the most interesting egg colors. And, in a way, these green egg layers really deliver on that front. They offer a unique range of shades that are, you know, quite different from the usual browns and whites. This pursuit of colorful eggs has really made these hybrid chickens very popular among enthusiasts.

What Exactly is an Olive Egger?

So, what is an olive egger chicken, you might ask? The term "olive egger" refers to a hybrid chicken type that is specifically bred to lay eggs in various shades of olive or moss green. These birds are, you know, quite rare hybrids that are very popular among chicken keepers. They’re not, like, recognized as a standardized breed by the American Poultry Association or anything like that. They’re really a creation of careful cross-breeding.

Olive egger chickens are, you know, hybrids that mix Legbars, Ameraucana, and Maran chicken breeds. These specific combinations are chosen to ensure that blue egg genes meet brown egg genes, resulting in green. It's a precise recipe, you could say, to get that desired color. The goal is to produce hens that consistently lay those beautiful green eggs, which is, you know, what most people are after.

The Olive Egger Egg: Shades of Green

When it comes to the eggs themselves, olive eggers will lay 100% green eggs. This is a pretty sure bet if you're looking for green colored eggs, which is great, isn't it? The shade of green they lay is typically a bit lighter than what you'd see from a moss egger, but it's usually a darker shade than what you might get from a sage egger. So, you get a really nice, consistent green that's quite appealing.

We've seen some truly unique ranges of speckled olives from our own hens. This is, you know, achieved by carefully selecting the parent breeds. The rooster used in some of those eggs was a Fibro Olive Egger with blue egg genes, which really helps in getting that specific green color. It’s all about the genetics, actually, and how those genes combine to create the final egg color.

Their eggs are, you know, a beautiful earthy green. It’s a color that really stands out in the egg basket. If you're wanting a dark olive egg, going with the olive egger is, you know, a good choice. They tend to give you that deep, rich green that many people are looking for, which is pretty cool.

Breeding Olive Eggers for Consistent Color

The breeding process for olive eggers is, you know, quite specific to ensure consistent green eggs. Crossing certain pea-combed hatchmates together will produce olive eggers that breed "true" for laying a shade of green egg with no chance of brown. This is, you know, very important for people who want a reliable green egg layer. Feather color and appearance will not, you know, always be consistent, but the egg color is the main goal.

In 2025, for example, we have three O/O roosters over O/O hens. This setup, you know, will guarantee you offspring that will have at least one copy of the blue egg gene. That's the basic genetic principle that ensures the green egg color. It’s a deliberate process, you see, to get those consistent results, which is pretty neat.

Olive eggers and Easter eggers are both unique hybrids created to lay colorful eggs. However, olive eggers are a special kind of Easter egger that only lays green eggs. Easter eggers, on the other hand, can lay a wider range of colors, including blue, green, or even pinkish tones. So, if you're set on green, olive eggers are, you know, the way to go.

Moss Eggers: Deeper, Darker Greens

Now, let's talk about moss eggers. These birds are, you know, often confused with olive eggers, but there are some key differences, especially in the egg color they produce. They're also not a recognized breed, just like olive eggers. They are, in a way, another designer cross, bred for a very specific deep green egg. It’s all about getting that really intense shade.

Unpacking the Moss Egger Term

From what I've read, the moss eggers are usually an olive egger backcrossed to a Marans. This particular breeding recipe is what gives them their distinct, darker green eggs. It’s a bit like refining the color, you know, to get an even deeper hue. The term "moss egger" itself, you know, really evokes that deep, earthy green color, which is pretty descriptive.

I got two moss eggers from Alchemist Farm, for instance. Francesca there said that stance is usually how to tell them apart, but that's not really helping me much, to be honest. They are both six weeks old, so it's a bit early to tell just from their posture. It just goes to show that even for experienced folks, telling these crosses apart can be a little tricky sometimes.

The Moss Egger Egg: Darker Tones

The defining characteristic of a moss egger is, you know, the very dark green egg they lay. While olive eggers will lay 100% green, the moss eggers produce a slightly darker shade. This is, you know, the primary reason people seek them out. If you're really aiming for those deep, dark, almost forest-green eggs, then a moss egger is, you know, probably what you're looking for.

We've been working on specific breeding recipes to get the egg colors shown, and we'll share how to correctly breed F3 olive eggers. These F3 hens, you know, lay gorgeous dark moss shades, which is really exciting for us. It shows that with careful breeding, you can truly refine the egg color to get exactly what you want. It's a bit of an art, really.

How Moss Eggers Come About

As mentioned, the creation of a moss egger typically involves taking an existing olive egger and breeding it back to a Marans. The Marans breed is known for its very dark brown eggs, and when that dark brown gene combines with the blue egg gene from the olive egger, you get a much deeper green. This is, you know, the secret to those coveted dark moss shades. It's a purposeful cross, designed for that specific color outcome.

The goal is to intensify the green, basically. It's not just about getting a green egg, but about getting a particular *shade* of green. This focus on specific color outcomes is what makes these designer crosses so popular. People are really looking for that unique visual appeal in their egg baskets, and moss eggers certainly deliver on that.

Moss Egger vs. Olive Egger: The Key Differences

So, let's really get into the specifics of moss egger vs. olive egger. While they both lay green eggs and are hybrid crosses, there are some pretty important distinctions to consider, you know, if you're trying to pick the right bird for your flock. It's not just about the name; it's about what you can expect from their eggs and their lineage.

Egg Color Nuances

The most significant difference between a moss egger and an olive egger is, you know, the exact shade of green egg they produce. Olive eggers will lay 100% green eggs, and their shade is typically a bit lighter than the moss eggers. They give you a consistent, lovely olive green. Moss eggers, on the other hand, are bred specifically for a darker, deeper, more intense green, often described as a true "moss" color. This is, you know, the main draw for many people.

If you are looking for a for-sure bet on green colored eggs, go for our olive eggers. They will lay 100% green in a slightly lighter shade than the moss eggers and a darker shade than the sage eggers. So, you get a clear distinction there. The moss eggers are really about pushing that green color to its darkest potential, which is, you know, quite a feat of breeding.

Breeding Specifics Compared

The way these birds are created is also a key differentiator. Olive eggers are typically a first-generation cross (F1) of a blue egg layer (like an Ameraucana or Legbar) and a brown egg layer (like a Marans or Welsummer). This initial cross is designed to guarantee that green egg. Moss eggers, conversely, are usually an olive egger backcrossed to a Marans. This backcross is done to deepen the green color by adding more of that dark brown egg gene, which is, you know, pretty clever.

The breeding recipe used to get the egg colors shown is very specific. For F3 olive eggers, for instance, we’ll share how to correctly breed them to get those gorgeous dark moss shades our F3 hens lay. This shows that even within the "olive egger" lineage, you can achieve deeper greens with subsequent generations and careful selection. So, it's not always a hard line, but a spectrum.

Are They "Breeds"?

Neither "olive egger" nor "moss egger" are, you know, recognized chicken breeds. They are, as a matter of fact, designer crosses. They're purposefully bred for one thing: the color of their eggs. This means that while you can expect a certain egg color, their feather color, comb type, or general appearance might vary quite a bit from bird to bird. They're not like, say, a Rhode Island Red, which has a very defined look. This is, you know, an important distinction for new chicken keepers to understand.

The term "olive egger" refers to a hybrid chicken type that is specifically bred to lay eggs in various shades of olive or moss green. While olive eggers are not recognized as a standardized breed by the American Poultry Association, their abundant egg production, combined with their unique egg color, makes them very popular. It's all about that egg, you see.

Choosing Your Green Egg Layer

When you're deciding between a moss egger and an olive egger, it really comes down to the specific shade of green you're hoping for in your egg basket. If you want a consistent, reliable green that's a bit lighter, then the olive egger is, you know, a fantastic choice. They are a for-sure bet on green colored eggs, which is great for predictability.

However, if your heart is set on those really deep, dark, almost forest-like green eggs, then the moss egger is, you know, probably more what you're after. They are bred specifically to achieve that darker hue. It’s like choosing between two different shades of paint, really, but for your breakfast. Both are green, but one is just a little more intense.

Consider what you're looking for in your flock. Both types of birds are generally robust and good layers. It's mostly about that egg color. You might even consider getting a mix of both, so you can have a lovely spectrum of greens in your egg collection. That's, you know, what many people do to enjoy the full range.

Beyond the Basics: F3 Olive Eggers and More

The world of green egg layers is, you know, constantly evolving with new crosses and generations. We've been working on breeding F3 olive eggers, for example, and we've seen some truly gorgeous dark moss shades from our F3 hens. This shows that with careful breeding and selection over generations, you can really refine the egg color to achieve those deeper tones. It’s a pretty exciting area of chicken genetics, you know.

The starlight green egger, for instance, will just lay green, almost blue eggs. If you're wanting a dark olive egg, you know, go with the olive egger. Olive eggers will lay 100% green in a slightly lighter shade than the moss eggers and a darker shade than the sage. So, there are many different options for green, depending on what you like.

The beauty of these designer crosses is that they allow for a lot of variation and experimentation. You can really explore the different shades of green, from light sage to deep moss, by understanding the genetics involved. It’s a continuous journey of discovery for chicken enthusiasts, which is, you know, part of the fun. Learn more about green egg layers on our site, and you can also find out more about our breeding programs. For more general chicken care information, you might find resources like Backyard Chickens quite helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Are Olive Eggers and Moss Eggers True Chicken Breeds?

No, they are not. Both "olive egger" and "moss egger" are, you know, terms for hybrid chickens. They are designer crosses, meaning they are bred specifically for the color of their eggs rather than being a recognized breed with standardized characteristics by organizations like the American Poultry Association. So, you won't find them listed in a breed standard book, for instance.

Q2: How Do You Get a Chicken to Lay Green Eggs?

You get a chicken to lay green eggs by breeding a blue egg-laying chicken with a brown egg-laying chicken. The presence of the blue shell gene, you know, is essential. When the blue pigment from one parent mixes with the brown pigment from the other parent, the result is some shade of green. That's the basic genetic principle, actually.

Q3: Can an Olive Egger Lay a Different Color Egg?

Generally, a true olive egger will lay 100% green eggs. They are specifically bred to carry the genes that ensure a green egg. However, if you have an Easter egger that happens to lay green, it might also lay blue or other colors. But for a chicken marketed as an "olive egger," the expectation is, you know, consistent green eggs.

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