Poultry Egg Identification Chart | Chicken Duck Goose Quail Turkey Emu

Duck, chicken, quail, turkey and goose eggs are other interesting, less common options to regular chicken eggs.

Most of you reading this probably raise chickens.

And most of you, like I, probably thought that chickens only laid brown or white eggs before you started raising your own flock and discovering breeds like the blue egg-laying Ameraucana or the chocolate brown egg-laying Marans.

But there are lots of other types of poultry suited for a backyard flock that also lay eggs.

From the tiny speckled quail egg to the ginormous avocado green emu egg, all of these eggs are edible and can add lots of variety to your egg basket, as well as diversity to a backyard flock.

Poultry Egg Identification

Why not look beyond brown egg-laying chickens this spring and think about raising one of these other types of poultry....

Quail

Quail eggs are tiny. Gorgeously speckled, they can be blown out to serve as beautiful decor in a bowl on your kitchen counter and the eggs also can be eaten.

Quail eggs only take 16 days or so to hatch, so it's possible to grow a flock of quail in a relatively short period of time. But be forewarned that quail can fly, so they need to be in a covered run or they will fly away on you.

Average size of quail eggs | .32 oz (9 grams)

For more information on raising quail, check out this book Practical Quail Keeping.

Bantam Chickens

Many standard breed chickens also come in bantam sizes. Think the Mini Me's of the chicken world. They lay slightly smaller eggs than a standard hen, but with their diminutive size make a great choice for families with small children.

Average size of bantam chicken eggs | 1 oz (25 grams)

Ameraucana Chickens

True Ameraucanas lay blue eggs (as do Araucanas and Cream Legbars). The blue pigment on the eggshell goes right through the pores, and the inside of an Ameraucana egg is also blue.

However, the inside of blue eggs - the white and the yolk of the egg - look just like a "normal" chicken egg. To read more about the difference between Ameraucanas, Araucanas and Easter Eggers, read HERE.

Average size of chicken eggs | 1.75 to 2 oz (50-55 grams)

Marans Chickens

Marans, the breed of chicken originating in Marans, France, lay the gorgeous dark chocolate brown eggs. Revered by chefs worldwide, Marans eggs are thought to be superior in quality to other breeds' eggs and also have less chance of carrying salmonella.

Average size of chicken eggs | 1.75 to 2 oz (50-55 grams)

For more information about raising chickens, read my book Fresh Eggs Daily.

Turkeys

Turkey eggs (not pictured) are about the same size as duck eggs and creamy-white or tan speckled and slightly more pointy than other eggs.

Turkeys generally don't have as long a laying season as other poultry, but the eggs certainly can bet eaten.

Average size of turkey eggs | 2.25 to 3.5 oz (65-100 grams)

For information on choosing and raising turkeys, visit The Livestock Conservancy.

Ducks

Duck eggs are roughly 30% larger than an average chicken egg. Technically, two duck eggs equals three chicken eggs, but I generally find that duck eggs can be used interchangeably in recipes calling for chicken eggs. They will make your baked good rise higher and taste richer.

Duck eggs can be white, mint green, pinkish or even charcoal gray, depending on the breed of duck. Ducks can live side by side with chickens with no problem and will be eager to show you the comical side of barnyard life.

Average size of duck eggs | 2.5 oz (70 grams)

For more about raising ducks, read Raising Ducklings or my book Duck Eggs Daily.

Geese

Goose eggs are even larger than duck eggs but can also be eaten or used for baking and have a mild, creamy texture. One goose egg equals three chicken eggs.

Or to substitute goose eggs in recipes, lightly whisk the egg then measure out 3 Tablespoons of whisked egg for each chicken egg called for in your recipe.

Geese only lay for a couple of weeks each spring (and sometimes again in the fall), but make good protection animals, sounding an alarm if they sense predators or strangers.

Average size of goose eggs | 5.25 oz (150 grams)

For more about raising geese read HERE

Emus

Emus, the large flightless birds from Australia, also make wonderful guardians for a flock.

They lay huge dark green pebbled eggs that are equal in size and volume to nearly a dozen chicken eggs and require a drill or hammer to break the shell!

Average size of emu eggs | 24 oz (680 grams)

For more information about raising emus, visit the American Emu Association website.