Hen's Eggs Are Different Colors?

[ajamichelle]

Hello,

I'm new to chickens and the forum!

I have recently acquired two adult hens from an acquaintance. They were henpecked by their previous flock, but are settling in perfectly with mine. One is missing most of her feathers, but they're coming back in nicely. I think she's an Easter Egger.

I was under the impression that eggs laid by a hen are consistent in color.

The acquaintance told me she was getting blue eggs periodically. Her flock consisted of the suspected EE, an Australorp/jersey giant (the other hen I received from her, I'm not sure which she is), two barred rocks, and a leghorn.

I'm guessing the blue eggs were coming from the suspected EE. All of the eggs she's laid with me have been pink-blushed brown.

I've had them only a short period and they were pretty stressed out.

Only these two adult hens are laying, and I know the other to be either an Australorp or a Jersey Giant.

Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance.

This is the hen

 

[aart]

Somebody better tell my girls they aren't all Easter Eggers then.

Pearl lays large to extra large blue eggs. No beard, no muff, lighter green legs than the others.


Agatha, large blue eggs. Muffed, bearded, dark green legs.


Daphne, lays medium to large blue eggs. No muff, no beard, legs very light green.


Mathilda, medium to large blue eggs. Heavy beard, heavy muffs, dark green legs.


Gladys, small to medium blue eggs. Heavy muff, very little beard, dark green legs.

No two combs are exactly alike, but their eggs are! If it weren't for knowing which nest each one uses and the fact that so far only a couple are laying large eggs consistently, I wouldn't have a clue which eggs came from which girl. I think they didn't read the book.

Not all EE's have muffs/beards, but most have the green legs and some form of pea comb(which indicates a blue egg gene) but it depends on what the cross was and with hatchery chicks you'll probably never know what the cross was. The possibilities of the genetic crosses are almost endless, feathering patterns, facial feathering, comb modifications etc and egg color can be anything from white to brown to pink to blue to green to olive to gray. Ameraucanas have 2 blue egg genes, if we're lucky EE's have one.

I got 2 hatchery EE's this spring and both lay rather pale blue eggs(to my delight) and both have green legs, muffs and larger modified pea combs, I think they were from a white egg layer cross, thus the larger combs and blue eggs rather than green (green eggs more likely to come from a cross with a brown egg layer). I have another EE that I hatched from a brown egg layer(we think an amberlink) and an EE roo, she lays a blue to green to olive/gray egg depending on how her spray booth is working that day, but the egg base color is blue because one blue egg gene passed down indicated by a pea comb and if you peel off the inner membrane off the egg shell you can see the blue egg base.

The details of the genetics are confounding to me, I only know the very tiny tip of that iceberg....sorry for the ramble on your thread ajamichelle.

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! I am not sure if this helps or not, but the Australorp I has laid medium brown eggs. Could it be possible that one of the hens your friend kept laid the blue eggs? I have seen our hen's eggs get slightly lighter or darker, but no complete color changes. I'd ask your friend if she is still getting blue eggs.
Good luck, I hope the hens get their feathers back soon. It will be able to tell what kind of hens they are at that point!

 

[ajamichelle]

Hi! I am not sure if this helps or not, but the Australorp I has laid medium brown eggs. Could it be possible that one of the hens your friend kept laid the blue eggs? I have seen our hen's eggs get slightly lighter or darker, but no complete color changes. I'd ask your friend if she is still getting blue eggs.
Good luck, I hope the hens get their feathers back soon. It will be able to tell what kind of hens they are at that point!

Hi! Thanks for your reply

I'm under the impression that barred rocks lay brown eggs and leghorns lay white eggs. Is it possible for either of these breeds to lay blue eggs? I'll confirm that she's not getting anymore blue eggs, but as of a few weeks ago, she wasn't. The possible Australorp/JG is also laying and hers are a medium light brown egg. Luckily, the possible EE sings an EXTREMELY raucous egg laying song and she didn't yesterday, then sure enough, when I went to collect, there was only the medium light brown egg.

 

[aart]

Hi! Thanks for your reply

I'm under the impression that barred rocks lay brown eggs and leghorns lay white eggs. Is it possible for either of these breeds to lay blue eggs? I'll confirm that she's not getting anymore blue eggs, but as of a few weeks ago, she wasn't. The possible Australorp/JG is also laying and hers are a medium light brown egg. Luckily, the possible EE sings an EXTREMELY raucous egg laying song and she didn't yesterday, then sure enough, when I went to collect, there was only the medium light brown egg.

Correct. No way!


I do not think that is an EE......no beard, no pea comb(blue egg gene indicator) and no green legs.
Strange comb-not sure what it is flat like wyandotte but not quite, her breast feathers looks like my Welsummer pullet.

Ditto carolinasculpture, you'll probably just have to wait it out to see what her egg color is and for her feathers to grow out.

BTW your nipple pipe waterer should be up a bit higher, just above their head height works well, so when they stretch up to drink it rolls right into their beaks.

 

[Double Kindness]

I agree, that is not a pea comb, it looks walnut combed.

My clean faced non pea combed ee lays pinkish brown eggs, my ee's with tufts and peacombs lay blue eggs, my wheaten ameracuna lays blue eggs.

It's great you got these pecked on chickens, their feathers should come back in great!

I'm trying to figure out where & how to hang my waterers and feeders. How high should nipple, waterers be? What about my flock being different sizes? My roo is very tall, especially compared to my 22 week old ee's.

 

[aart]

I agree, that is not a pea comb, it looks walnut combed.

My clean faced non pea combed ee lays pinkish brown eggs, my ee's with tufts and peacombs lay blue eggs, my wheaten ameracuna lays blue eggs.

It's great you got these pecked on chickens, their feathers should come back in great!

I'm trying to figure out where & how to hang my waterers and feeders. How high should nipple, waterers be? What about my flock being different sizes? My roo is very tall, especially compared to my 22 week old ee's.

I've read to put them just above the head of tallest bird then provide bricks blocks or something for the shorter ones to step up on....I do the block of wood or bricks in my coop with a regular waterer.

 

[ajamichelle]

I do not think that is an EE......no beard, no pea comb(blue egg gene indicator) and no green legs.
Strange comb-not sure what it is flat like wyandotte but not quite, her breast feathers looks like my Welsummer pullet.

Ditto carolinasculpture, you'll probably just have to wait it out to see what her egg color is and for her feathers to grow out.

BTW your nipple pipe waterer should be up a bit higher, just above their head height works well, so when they stretch up to drink it rolls right into their beaks.

Thank you so much for your reply! Thanks for the advice on the nipple pipe waterer too! They're using it pretty efficiently, but I'll be sure to put it up higher when we move the pipe into the coop for the winter. I know that I have to wait for her feathers to grow out, but can you make some suggestions for some of the more common brown chickens matching her comb profile? I'm definitely going to look into wyandottes and welsummers! Thank you for the suggestions

I agree, that is not a pea comb, it looks walnut combed.

My clean faced non pea combed ee lays pinkish brown eggs, my ee's with tufts and peacombs lay blue eggs, my wheaten ameracuna lays blue eggs.

It's great you got these pecked on chickens, their feathers should come back in great!

I'm trying to figure out where & how to hang my waterers and feeders. How high should nipple, waterers be? What about my flock being different sizes? My roo is very tall, especially compared to my 22 week old ee's.

Thank you for your reply!!!

How long do y'all think it will take for her feathers to grow in? They're coming in slowly, but less so on her neck, thanks to my roo.

 

[aart]

She probably mix of some sort.

 

[ajamichelle]

She probably mix of some sort.

Oh okay Well that's okay too I'm just so excited to see what she'll look like with feathers!