While chocolate Easter eggs have been lining supermarket shelves since Boxing Day, it’s the real thing gaining traction at Agia Skepi Boutique Farm. Their naturally coloured rainbow eggs — more dazzling (and arguably healthier) than their foil-wrapped counterparts — are growing in popularity year-round.
Each week, up to 40 dozen eggs are carefully packed and posted to homes across the country, with the same care Peter and Foteini Kakulas devote to their flock of nearly 20 breeds, including Lavender Sussex, Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte, Araucana, Brahma, Australorp, Leghorn and Marans.
The rainbow egg colours at Agia Skepi are not random. Foteini, a biologist, carefully selects the breeds she uses to produce distinctive shades — from purples and pinks to greys and greens. It’s a labour of love, with the results bringing satisfaction both on the farm and in customers’ homes.
Alongside the eggs, customers often receive advice on setting up their own backyard flocks, reflecting a growing interest in keeping chickens at home. More than just a source of fresh eggs, chooks offer a sense of calm and connection to nature, while also turning kitchen scraps and garden weeds into eggs and nutrient-rich fertiliser.
Foteini said egg shortages are also playing a part in their popularity. “Egg shortages are pushing people to have their own chickens — and getting a basket of rainbow eggs from your own backyard chooks is a huge joy for adults and kids alike.”
From soft blues and greens through to warm browns, pinks, greys and even purples, the eggs naturally spark curiosity. Foteini says she has noticed a difference in the way people question how the hens manage to produce such an array of coloured eggs: “Men tend to ask, ‘Does it have to do with the feed you give them?’ While women are more likely to wonder, ‘What breed lays purple eggs?’”
As it turns out, both questions are on the right track.
“The purple colour is a result of a heavy bloom over a brown or chocolate eggshell. Both of these attributes are genetically controlled, so yes, it has to do with the breed and the genes a hen carries. However, the amount of bloom varies, meaning eggs from the same hen can look different from one day to the next.
“Anecdotal evidence suggests this may relate to stress levels, as well as other factors — potentially including what the hen eats. For example, eating certain greens may result in more bloom, either due to the feed itself or simply because it keeps the hen content.”
And for those collecting their own eggs each morning, the reward is simple — a basket that’s never quite the same twice.
You can follow Agia Skepi – Chittering Valley Farm on Facebook and Instagram, or visit on Saturdays from 9–11am (or by appointment) at 287 Chittering Valley Road, Lower Chittering.
