The links below have very good explanations and pictures specifically pertaining to Olive Egger breeding. ​

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Olive Egger Breeding - Silver Homestead​​

F1 vs Back Cross Olive Eggers - Silver Homestead

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Here at Crosby Lake Farm, we have varying generations and backcrosses of Olive Eggers. We have hens laying brown eggs under DNA verified true blue roosters, which will hatch out F1 Olive Egger offspring guaranteed to lay a green egg, all the way to very dark, deep chocolatey olive eggs which will hatch out backcrossed offspring laying an even deeper olive OR a dark brown. It is essential to backcross (breed olive laying hens to dark chocolate breeds, like a Marans) in order to get deeper olives. The 50% chance of laying brown is a necessary evil to create "better" olives. Brown eggs laid by Olive Eggers who do not end up with the correct genes to lay green are usually stunning and are a beautiful addition to a rainbow egg basket. Some are even as dark as a pure Marans. The important takeaway from this is the only time a green egg is a guarantee from Crosby Lake Farm is with a first generation cross. Any crosses after that will depend on the parents. 

 

The only eggs guaranteed to be labeled are F1. The rest are considered Multigenerational Olive Eggers. We do not keep track of exactly what generation or cross birds are, we breed according to egg color only. The egg color of the hen depends on the breeding pen she is in, regardless of genetics. 

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Olive Egger hatching egg dozens will be packaged according to what the hens provide. We will do our very best to assure there is an assortment of all available shades. We do not take specific requests for particular eggs to be included in Olive Egger hatching egg dozens. 

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Olive Eggers are hybrids and do not breed true. You cannot necessarily hatch Olive Egger hatching eggs, breed the chicks, and expect to get the same results. Olive Egger breeding is an art.