Cayuga Duck Eggs

[Urucubaca]

Hello,

I am just curious if any Cayuga Duck owners actually get eggs of that wonderful dark grey at the beginning of the season.

I have a beautiful drakes and just gave him a girl (with more along the way). Not sure what to expect yet.

 

[barkingpig]

First egg of the season!

 

[helios]

I just found this thread searching for Cayuga eggs (I've got a theory about shell color, actually). I'm hoping you've seen your blackest eggs appear this spring!

Just to clarify: I've got 5 hens laying this spring. One lays eggs with a white shell, two lay eggs with a pearl grey shell, and two lay eggs with a pale green shell. The attached photo is of the first two eggs I found this year; they are most probably from the three-year old hen (who lays the darkest green shells) and the softshell egg from one of the two-year old hens (her daughter, and I only think it was one of the older girls because of the larger-than-pullet size and earlier-than-pullet timing).

In general, I think that a white egg shell in Cayugas is a sign of a watered down breeding pool somewhere along the way...I don't hatch with white eggs. I also think (and, mind you, I have not substantiated this) that hens laying darker shelled eggs pass more pigment along to their offspring.

I have also noticed that the pigmented film on the eggs seems darker overall on the green-shelled eggs, then grey-shelled eggs, and even the very first white-shelled Cayuga egg this year had a very light gray film on it. Cayuga females will develop white feathers over injuries and with age...guess which of my hens has a mantle of white feathers at two years old, while her mother has just a few specks of white? The white-shell layer. However, she's my most diligent and protective broody, and I'll use her again this year (and as a bonus, I can tell if she "adds" any eggs to my chosen clutch).

I am sitting on (pun intended) a few dozen green- and grey-shelled eggs for hatching. Some are definitely too early/old to incubate, but they marbled black and grey over green eggs are sometimes just too stunning to eat...I find myself going for the chicken eggs first every time! I'll try to remember to take a picture of my stash when I get home.

They have been laying since March 14, so I should be in peak fertility right now (and the ladies are definitely ready to nest). I'm considering listing hatching eggs, but I have to get my clutches in order first.



And, yes, I know this thread is kind of old...hope it helps someone out there!

 

[duckyeah]

My first Cayuga egg! She's laying 1 egg a day right in her nest box. You can already see them lightening up over the week.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Wow! that is a cool looking egg! I had no idea they could be black!

 

[maxpedley]

My cayuga does lay eggs with the sooty overlayer however she kept doing this throughout the laying season but it was a very light grey.

 

[Urucubaca]

Ooooooo!! Do you have photos?

 

[maxpedley]

no unfortunately not. have u ever seen photos of cayuga eggs that are nearly black?

 

[Urucubaca]

I've seen photos of them 'nearly black'. Don't think I will ever see one in my life time though.

 

[Seadog36]

Just got our first two eggs in the same nest box. We have three hens and just installed a heat lamp. Think that is triggering the winter laying. We were expecting dark eggs. Still delicious.