In today's world of industrialised agriculture and mass production, the significance of heritage hens and their beautifully coloured eggs often gets overlooked. Heritage hens are a valuable resource not only for their history and genetic diversity but also for the fascinating spectrum of coloured eggs they lay.
Heritage hens are traditional, time-tested breeds that have been cherished for generations. These breeds have a rich history, are often raised for both meat and egg production, and are characterized by their unique traits and behaviours.
Heritage hens differ from commercial breeds in that they are typically more robust and adaptable. Their natural behaviours are cherished by backyard poultry keepers and small-scale farmers. These breeds are an essential part of preserving agricultural biodiversity and maintaining a link to our agricultural past.
One of the most fascinating aspects of heritage hens is the wide range of egg colours they produce. Commercial hybrid breeds usually lay brown eggs (some white), but heritage hens lay an array of colours. These gorgeous eggs offer a beautiful visual representation of diversity in the natural world.
Brown Eggs: Some heritage breeds, like the Rhode Island Red and Australorps produce pale brown eggs and some are almost cream or pink eggs. Whereas our Marans lay rich dark chocolate brown and almost maroon-coloured eggs.
Green Eggs: The Araucanas are famous for their striking greenish-blue eggs. These eggs are a testament to the unique genetic heritage of these birds.
Blue Eggs: Other heritage hens, like the Cream Legbar, lay beautiful sky-blue eggs. The sight of a nest full of these eggs is sure to brighten any poultry enthusiast's day.
Olive Eggs: Our olive eggers are crossbreeds of two heritage hens (One blue egg layer and one brown). The rooster should be from the brown egg laying breed.
Easter Eggs: Laid by our Easter Eggers (again a cross between a brown and blue egg layer) will lay different coloured eggs, which are a mixture of the blue and brown genetics. Easter Eggers can lay a variety of egg colours, from blue to green and sometimes even pink.
Speckled Eggs: The Welsummer breed produces eggs with a gorgeous terracotta color and distinct dark speckles. Each egg is a work of art.
White Eggs: Our leghorns lay white eggs. These girls are terrific egg layers producing over 300 eggs per year.
Keeping heritage hens isn't just about the beauty of their coloured eggs; it's also about preserving history and connecting with traditional farming practices. These birds carry with them the legacy of generations of farmers who relied on them for sustenance. Heritage hens are often hardy and well-suited to free-range and backyard environments. Ours can forage for insects and graze on greens, resulting in eggs that have richer yolks and superior taste compared to their commercial counterparts.
Heritage hens are a treasure trove of genetic diversity, history, and unique egg colours. Raising these remarkable birds, contributes to preserving agricultural heritage and we get to enjoy the wonder of a rainbow of egg colours. These hens are a connection to our past and a bright future for sustainable and diverse agriculture.
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