Most chicken breeds lay brown or white eggs, but there are several kinds of chickens that lay blue eggs. 

And ever since Martha Stewart appeared on television years ago holding a basket of blue eggs laid by her chickens, the demand for the blue egg laying breeds has skyrocketed.

So What Kinds of Chickens Lay Blue Eggs?

There are predominantly three breeds of chickens that lay blue eggs | the Ameraucana, the Araucana and the Easter Egger.

There are several other not-so-common breeds that also lay blue eggs including the Cream Legbar which are just becoming available in the US and the mixed breed Ice Cream Bar - half Swedish Isbar half Cream Legbar - which also lay blue eggs.

But for the purpose of this article, I'm going to be talking about the three most common breeds of chickens that lay blue eggs.

If you want blue eggs, you'll want to keep reading and be absolutely sure of what you're ordering in the spring if you are determined to have blue eggs in your basket come fall!

Ameraucana vs. Araucana vs. Easter Egger | The Blue Egg Layers

Here are the basic differences between the three predominant blue egg laying breeds of chickens:

Ameraucanas are a pure breed that has been recognized by the APA (American Poultry Association) since 1984.

They were most likely originally bred from South American blue egg laying breeds but were developed and standardized in the United States.

They come in eight distinct colors including, Blue, Black, Lavender, White and Wheaten, which all share these distinct Ameraucana traits:

• Pea comb

• Muffs and beard

• Red earlobes

• Tail

• Slate gray or blue legs

• White foot bottoms

• Always lay blue eggs

Araucana are more rare than Ameraucanas and harder to find. Their main distinctive feature is that they they have no tails. But they do have prominent ear tufts. They are also a pure breed and have been recognized by the APA since 1976.

The Araucana originated in Chile most likely and come in five colors including black, white, duckwing silver and golden. They are the breed that the Ameraucana was developed from. 

Araucanas all share these distinct Araucana traits:

• Pea comb

• Ear tufts (this gene is lethal to developing chicks if inherited by both parents)

• Red earlobes

• Rumpless (no tail)

• Green or willow-colored legs

• Yellow foot bottoms

• Always lay blue eggs

Easter Eggers are not a recognized breed.

They are technically mutts - mixed breed chickens that do possess the blue egg gene, but don't fully meet the breed specifications of either Araucanas or Ameraucanas.

They can come in any color or combination of colors and share these traits:

• Any kind of comb

• Muffs/beard/ear tufts or none

• Any color earlobes

• Tail or tail-less

• Any color legs

• Any color foot bottoms

• Can lay blue but also sometimes lay green, tan, pink or even yellow

Easter Eggers are fun because you never know what color egg each hen will lay until she starts laying, and even identical-looking hens often lay varying shades of bluish or greenish eggs. 

But ultimately if you want blue eggs, you'll need to choose either Ameraucana or Araucana chickens, or one of the newer breeds including Cream Legbar or Ice Cream Bar.

 Final note: There is no such thing as an Americana. If you run across a feed store or hatchery selling Americanas, they are likely Easter Eggers.