My white leghorn is laying brown eggs????

WichitaKSClucks

In the Brooder
Mar 27, 2015
46
11
34
Wichita, Kansas
My white leghorn from Estes Hatchery started laying yesterday and she's laying brown eggs both yesterday and today. Something tells me she's not what we ordered. Attached are a picture of her and her egg. Help!!!! What is she????

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I agree with the other posters; both the brown eggs and the red earlobes are indicative of White Plymouth Rocks (Leghorns have white earlobes).
 
After waiting anxiously for weeks for my "leghorns" (henceforth to be referred to as The DeeDum....they earned the names Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and since they are nearly identical and we can't tell them apart, we collectively refer to both of them as one until- The DeeDum) to start laying, I went out to the coop this morning and discovered this oddly dark egg- none of my other girls have ever laid eggs of that shade- we have two EE's, two Black Stars, one RI Red, one Japanese Fantail Bantam, one Frizzle Bantam, and The DeeDum. We thought we would know for sure when they started laying, as leghorns lay white eggs, right?
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Now I am wondering if they are perhaps White Rocks! Getting a close look at their earlobes will have to wait until they head back inside for the evening.

Can my other hens suddenly have such a dramatic change in the color of their eggshells? I have had my original crew of the EE's, RI Red, and Black Star for two years now- it's obvious who lays the blue/green and who lays the mini eggs :)




 

Ok...I got a shot of a DeeDum...would the "earlobes" be those cute feathery bits? (which are white)? In which case, she is a Leghorn, and then who knows what the story is with the egg!
 

Ok...I got a shot of a DeeDum...would the "earlobes" be those cute feathery bits? (which are white)? In which case, she is a Leghorn, and then who knows what the story is with the egg!
The earlobes are the fleshy parts developing below those cute feathery bits. I can't get your pic to enlarge, but based on what I can see it looks to me like she has red earlobes coming in which means she's a White Rock (definitely so if she's laying brown eggs). Also her general build looks to be that of a White Rock rather than a White Leghorn.
 
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After waiting anxiously for weeks for my "leghorns" (henceforth to be referred to as The DeeDum....they earned the names Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and since they are nearly identical and we can't tell them apart, we collectively refer to both of them as one until- The DeeDum) to start laying, I went out to the coop this morning and discovered this oddly dark egg- none of my other girls have ever laid eggs of that shade- we have two EE's, two Black Stars, one RI Red, one Japanese Fantail Bantam, one Frizzle Bantam, and The DeeDum. We thought we would know for sure when they started laying, as leghorns lay white eggs, right? :idunno Now I am wondering if they are perhaps White Rocks! Getting a close look at their earlobes will have to wait until they head back inside for the evening. Can my other hens suddenly have such a dramatic change in the color of their eggshells? I have had my original crew of the EE's, RI Red, and Black Star for two years now- it's obvious who lays the blue/green and who lays the mini eggs :)
Wow! What a beautiful assortment of colors!
 
The earlobes are the fleshy parts developing below those cute feathery bits. I can't get your pic to enlarge, but based on what I can see it looks to me like she has red earlobes coming in which means she's a White Rock (definitely so if she's laying brown eggs). Also her general build looks to be that of a White Rock rather than a White Leghorn.


Is she a really big hen? I have one that looks just like her and im wondering if mine is a white rock as well! Im pretty sure mine just started laying the same color eggs too! Mine doesn't fly! Her run is sooo funny it makes me laugh cuz she kicks her feet out to the side as she runs!
 
Hi!

She is very, very large- I have two of them, and they were much daintier when we picked them up as pullets. I are larger than all of my other hens, very white and fluffy and "classic chicken" looking. However, The DeeDum does fly, excellently, in fact! They like sitting up on top of the coop and hanging out, and are always the last ones in at night!
 

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