BBS Opry Hill Moss Egger (Straight Run)

Talking Points Of The Breed:

• Origin: Opry Hill Farms, LLC
• Broodiness: Moderate
• Meat production: Moderate
• Cold tolerance: Excellent. About 75% will have pea combs.
• Heat tolerance: Excellent
• Predator evasion: Exceptional ~ Roosters will gallantly protect their flock but are docile with their human counterparts
• Foraging ability: Exceptional ~ If given the opportunity to forge in the spring though fall, they will seek out most of their food sources
• Noise level: Low-Moderate
• Hen Size: 4-6 Pounds
• Rooster Size: 7-9 Pounds
• Egg color: Rustic moss colored eggs.  We have been breeding for speckles and camouflage variations. About 1/3 of eggs laid have this propensity.
• Egg size: Medium
• Age of lay: 5-6 months
• Egg laying ability: Excellent
• Eggs/year: 200+
• Temperment: These birds will naturally be friendly and docile with the roosters being alert and protective but respecting their humans. Additionally we breed only birds that are the friendliest of the flock, hen and rooster combined. They do well in confinement or in a free range situation.

The two breeds I first used when I was experimenting with breeding olive eggers were a Blue Silver Marans rooster, Good old Travis Tritt. The hens were a handful of Easter Eggers. Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Taylor Swift and Patty Loveless. I loved this little group of beautiful egg layers so much. I didn’t just love them for their eggs in shades of olives, pastel greens and blues though. They were the most well rounded. They were lovable and docile, jumping on my shoulder when I would feed. They foraged well all year long because the cold and snow didn’t seem to bother them with their adorable puffy cheeks and pea comb. The most important reason was their ability to lay eggs all year long come rain, snow or shine. In the winter this was with or without supplemental light as well. I knew it was them as they were the only colored layers I had at the time. Back then I was delivering farm fresh eggs around the area with most customers wanting a set amount every week. These girls were my all stars and never let me down during winter months.

I grew out quite a few of their offspring and kept all the hens that laid a green eggs. This is when I first started getting excited about the genetics of olive Eggers and decided I would make a goal for a chicken that I would like to have in my own flock. I loved the beards and pea combs with hens that laid beautiful shades of Moss and olive. Blooms and speckles also were a goal. So with these original Easter Eggers, I used their offspring to breed towards this goal. My original roosters of choice were Silver or Copper Marans rooster so these original Olive Eggers were considered Back Cross Olive Eggers. In later generations I added a Silverdruds Blue rooster for speckling genetics. At this point, they are 6th generation. I have back crossed and breed back to f1 more than once. Genetically speaking, I just referred to them as a multi-generational olive egger, our beloved Opry Hill Moss Eggers by name. In 2025 We have Three O/O roosters over o/O hens. This will guarantee you offspring that will have a least one copy of the blue egg gene.

I cannot guarantee plumage color. They all will have the Blue/Black/Splash genetics but I do not fulfill requests for specific plumage color as I am never sure how many of each color I will have upon hatch or how many you will have with your shipped hatching eggs.