Green Queen Chickens are a relatively new breed that primarily lay green eggs, although will sometimes lay shades of blue. They make for an excellent family pet and produce 200 to 300 eggs per year, but are a bad choice for meat production.
Every variety of chicken has qualities and traits that make them unique. Among the hundreds of breeds that we see today, we often like to categorize them into 3 primary typings: egg-laying, meat-producing, and dual-purpose.
While these categories are generally valuable to consider what role a chicken will play in your flock, there are many other categories that are interesting to consider. For example, one fascinating category of chicken is called Easter Egger, and this includes chickens that lay eggs of a wide spectrum of colors.
Today, we will be focusing on a relatively new breed of Easter Egger chicken called the Green Queen.
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What is a Green Queen Chicken?
Green Queen Chickens are a new hybrid Easter Egger breed of chicken developed by Meyer Hatchery in Polk, Ohio. They were intentionally bred to be incredibly hardy egg-layers that produce large green-colored eggs.
They were initially produced by breeders who crossbred a variety of chicken breeds, including Araucanas and Ameraucanas. These breeds were intentionally chosen because they are known for laying bright blue-colored eggs. So, when they were bred with other breeds that lay brown eggs, the combination of the two colors results in a beautiful green egg.
What do Green Queen Chickens look like?
Green Queens come in a variety of colors, which is true of other Easter Egger breeds. This is due to the fact that they are often bred as a hybrid chickens, meaning that breeders intentionally cross two different parents of varying breeds. Hybrid breeding causes Green Queens not to have a standard look, but rather they are bred for the purposes of producing a large number of eggs, with their eggs being a unique color.
However, there are some common traits seen in many Green Queens. All of these traits are solely dependent on what the parents look like, but there are some genetic traits that are seen in most Green Queen chickens. They will usually have single or pea combs, and often have muffs and beards. Their legs are usually featherless, and the shanks and footpads have a wide variety of colors.
The overall coloration of the feathering is going to be determined by the parent that has colors of a genetically dominant trait. This means that Greens Queens come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, which matches the variety and uniqueness of the coloration of their egg shells.
How Long for a Green Queen to Reach Full Size?
Green Queens will grow to full size in about 17-20 weeks, at which point the hens will be able to start laying eggs. Again, because so many of the physical characteristics of Green Queens are reliant on the parents, their overall size and weight will vary from bird to bird.
How Big Does a Green Queen Chicken Grow?
On average, hens are usually about 4 lbs in weight, while roosters will grow to be about 4.5 lbs in weight. This is about average when compared to different breeds of Easter Eggers. While you generally won’t harvest Green Queens for their meat, they offer perfectly edible and delicious meat to bring to the kitchen table.
There is also a smaller bantam variety of Green Queens that have all the same characteristics of standard-sized Green Queens, but are only about half the size at about 2 lbs. They’re also known to usually have 5 toes and feathered legs, with wispy, silky feathers.
Green Queen Egg Color
As their name suggests, Green Queen chickens will predominantly lay green eggs. The shades of green vary from sage, to olive, to aqua, but some will even tend to be more brown, blue, or even have a pink hue similar to the eggs of the Salmon Faverolle.
| Egg Production | 200 to 300 eggs per year |
| First Laying | 17 to 20 weeks |
| Laying Span | 4 years+ |
| Egg Color | Green |
| Egg Size | Medium to large |
| Lays in Winter? | Sometimes |
Each Green Queen hen will lay only one specific color of egg during her lifetime, so don’t expect to see a variety of colored eggs in one hen’s nest. Raising several Green Queen hens offers the benefit of a broader spectrum of beautifully colored eggs.
Even though the color of the shell might seem unnatural, all Green Queen eggs are naturally edible and offer a tasty flavor. Hens will usually lay between 4-6 eggs per week, or 200-300 eggs per year, making them fairly prolific egg layers. Because they are selectively bred to lay eggs, Green Queen hens usually aren’t very broody.
What is a Green Queen Chicken’s Personality Like?
Green Queens are known to be incredibly friendly and docile chickens. Most Easter Egger breeds are loved by chicken keepers for their sweet personalities and tendency to be non-aggressive and calm with humans.
This makes Green Queens an excellent choice for families that have children or for beginners who are just starting to raise chickens. If you’re adding them to an already established flock, they will be lower on the pecking order due to their passive nature. For this reason, you will only want them to intermingle with breeds that are also relatively docile, such as Cochins, Marans, Australorps, and Silkies.
Are Green Queen Chickens Difficult to Raise?
Well known for their hardiness, Green Queens can thrive in both cold and hot climates. This makes them highly adaptable to many environments and will be comfortable and healthy in a variety of regions.
Green Queens are an overall very healthy breed that faces little to no hereditary health problems. This is due to how they have such a wide gene pool from not having purebred parents through the hybrid breeding process.
Like most chickens, they are susceptible to parasites, like mites and intestinal worms, but these can be prevented and treated by always monitoring your chicken’s appearance and droppings.
As an egg-laying breed, Green Queens love to take to their coop. The size of your coop should accommodate the projected size of your flock, and each bird should have a nesting box that meets their standards. Green Queens are on the smaller side and won’t need a nesting box any larger than 12”x12”.
When outside of their coop, Green Queens love to forage and will naturally take to free-ranging when they aren’t busy laying eggs. Foraging also makes them an overall healthier bird, as their diet will be enriched by nutrients beyond the feed that you give them.
Conclusion
Green Queen Chickens are a phenomenal egg layer that will add a lot of personality to your flock. Their hardiness and proficiency with laying eggs make them a staple in any hen house, and their friendly demeanor also makes them fantastic companions as backyard chickens.
Since no two Green Queens look the same, you’re bound to have a totally unique chicken to add to your collection. Green Queens are the perfect example of why Easter Eggers have their place in anyone’s flock.
Besides, who doesn’t love a beautiful green egg?