The Chicken Project

In 2019, we set out to develop a flock of Missouri climate hardy, predator savvy chickens who lay a rainbow of colorful eggs.

Starting from heritage chicken breeds, we have bred and raised our flock to be beautiful, Missouri-climate hardy, and predator savvy. Our birds and fertile hatching eggs are certified NPIP clean. We are having lots of fun learning about chicken genetics, and experimenting to create unique chicken varieties that you won’t find anywhere else. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Our Original Heritage Breed Roosters

Our Original Heritage Breed Hens

Dominique

Dominique chickens, also known as Dominickers, are the oldest American chicken breed. They are friendly and intelligent, and lay a large light brown egg with a pink tint.

Silver Spangled Hamburg

Hamburgs have been in America since the early 19th Century, and lay medium sized white eggs.

Cream Legbar

Cream Legbars were developed in England in the early 20th Century to be auto-sexing (male and female chicks look different). They lay medium sized blue eggs.

Golden Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben

This breed, from Switzerland, went nearly extinct after World War II and was imported into the United States in the 1950s. They lay medium-to-large sized white eggs.

Welsummer

Welsummers were developed in the early 20th Century in Holland. They lay large dark brown eggs and are commonly used to create Olive Egger hybrids.

First and Second Generation Cream Legbar Hybrids

Mint Egger (crossed with Dominique)

Mint Eggers hatch from a tan/pink egg, and lay green eggs. They look and act like Dominique chickens.

Olive Egger (crossed with Welsummer)

Olive Eggers hatch from a dark brown egg, and lay green eggs. They look much like Cream Legbars, but with higher egg production, larger eggs and bolder personalities.

Olive Egger Back Cross

When we breed Olive Eggers back to a Cream Legbar rooster, we get eggs in a wider range of more vibrant greens. The chicks are also easier to sex than first generation Olive Eggers.

First and Second Generation Gold Spitz Hybrids

It is quite difficult to tell the various Gold Spitz Hybrids apart, as chicks and as adults. So, in most cases, we will refer to them all as “Rainbow Eggers”. However, we did manage to track a few of these hybrids from hatch to lay, to better understand the genetics.

Cream Egger (crossed with Dominique)

Cream Eggers hatch from a tan/pink egg, and lay light cream or pale pink eggs. Chicks are sex-linked, so males have a white head spot and females are solid black.

Blue Egger (crossed with Cream Legbar)

Blue Eggers hatch from a blue egg, and lay blue eggs. Chicks are sex-linked, so males have a white head spot and females are solid black or brown.

Rainbow Egger (crossed with Olive Egger)

When we breed Olive Eggers to a Gold Spitz rooster, we could get eggs ranging from light cream to green or blue. Chicks are sex-linked, so males have a white head spot and females are solid brown or black.

Spring 2023 Fertile Hatching Eggs

Here is the range of colors from our fertile hatching eggs in Spring 2023.

2024 Spring Breeding Groups