A Variety of Chicken Eggs and Colors

Aren't these beautiful?

We have been getting such a wonderful variety of colors when gathering eggs lately, that I couldn't resist putting them all in a row for comparison.  The darkest ones are from my favorite hen that is actually a

mix between a French Blue Copper Maran and a French Wheaten Maran.  Also there are a barnyard variety of Welsummers,  Black Australorp, Barnevelders, French Black Copper Marans, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes, other odds and ends and even some Rumpless and Tufted Araucanas.

The general chicken yard is a colorful array of birds just like the eggs pictured here.  

There are several we have separated for the purpose of preserving the purity of the breed for hatching eggs, but some are a bit mismatched that we run together for eating egg purposes.

If you are not familiar with chickens and the different varieties, take some time and have fun looking at a few of the breeds I've mentioned.  Their personalities and behavior are as large a variety as their colors!

I do have to add that raising chickens is not for the faint of heart.  Sometimes, no matter what you do, you will lose a few.  Usually they are your favorite ones.  At least it seems to be that way.  The mean, vicious rooster you wish would disappear will live for ten years!  Just kidding.  

Make no mistake, we have had some of our greatest moments as a family raising these birds.  We spend time together researching which breeds we'd like, making wish lists like it was Christmas.  We also spend a lot of time together hatching out chicks, caring daily for them, doctoring them, building coops and the best part is simply enjoying them being chickens out in the fields.  Oh, until the hawk swoops in and gives us all a heart attack!  Seriously.  There is no end to battling the forces of nature when you are investing your hard earned time and money down this road.  Every time our guineas "sound off" at night, one of us is at the window with the flash light looking for signs of a raccoon or possom.  We keep the gun loaded and show no mercy, otherwise, our favorite broody hen or best laying hen will be their dinner.  It never fails.

I hope you enjoy researching some of these beautiful breeds!