# egg colors?



## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

I bought some lavender orpington chicks last summer, had them shipped here from across the country. Well, they finally started laying eggs in the last couple of weeks, and one of them is laying brown eggs, and the rest are laying greenish eggs. They're not quite as bright green as the ameraucanas I used to have, but they're definitely not brown. Is it safe to assume they're not purebred lavender orpington chickens? Because I've never heard of orpington chickens laying green eggs.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Probably not pure. Sorry, that stinks!  I love Orpingtons.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Any green or blue hue is descendant from Ameraucana or Araucana.


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

I could be wrong but aren't recognized as pure bred Orps. They have to have a cross in the lineage somewhere to become "Lavender" Hence the mixed egg coloring.


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## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

mjs500doo said:


> Any green or blue hue is descendant from Ameraucana or Araucana.


That's what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure. Thanks!

Thanks Sydney, I love Orpingtons too. 

Now I'm kind of annoyed. I guess it doesn't really matter if they're purebred because I just got them for laying eggs, not for showing or breeding, but still I feel like I was kind of taken advantage of by the person that sold them to me.  Oh well, nothing I can do now. It's kind of fun having green eggs again, but they're tiny! They'll probably start laying bigger eggs after a while. Hopefully..


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## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

serenityfarmnm - I think you're right. They mix different orpingtons to get the lavender color. But I still think they'd lay brown eggs. But maybe not. Really I'm just obsessing over nothing LOL!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

The lavender Araucana was used as the first cross to result in lavender Orp. Lavender itself is a recessive gene. They breed true once you have some. As for egg color, Orps only lay brown eggs. I'd say you have a blue or lavender EE.


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