New Layer Egg Colors ?

[fhdogs]

Hi guys, I got my second egg today from my two "older" girls!

One of the two chickens is larger than the other, and I assumed she was the one who gave me the first egg two days ago. Today I watched the larger one lay a much darker egg. At 14 weeks I'm excited to be getting any eggs, but now I can't tell if they are from the same girl, or not. Is it normal for the first egg to be so much lighter in color? Or are these two eggs from different chickens? I really didn't expect both of them to start laying since it's so early.

 

[BlackBart]

I would say they are from different hens.

beautiful color on the brown one.

 

[Indiana hens]

ditto

 

[fhdogs]

I did forget to add that the are both Red Sex Link hens, so I'd assume the coloring should be similar. If they are from both girls that's great that they are both laying so young. I guess a few more days will give me the true answer. I can't wait to get a few more so I can make some breakfast!

 

[homesteadingcowgirl]

I don't have sex link's but I would hazard a guess that one of thos is most definitely not (or is a cross or something) Where did you get your birds from?. Ditto on the two different birds, but I don't think they are of the same breed-way to much discrepancy.

cowgirl

 

[fhdogs]

Here's a couple pictures of my older chickens. The girls look very similar except that the slightly larger girl (who I watched lay the dark egg today) has lighter tail feathers.

The three chicks in the photos all came from TSC on 4/19

 

[patandchickens]

Egg color can be really wonky and variable in early eggs -- I can certainly believe both of those came from your sexlinks and possibly even from the same one (less likely than from different hens, but by no means at all *impossible*). Certainly both your hens look exactly like normal red-star or ISA Brown type sexlinks.

As time goes by their systems will even out and start producing more consistant-colored eggs, and different hens' egg colors tend to converge as they all get a bit lighter thru the lay cycle.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[fhdogs]

Thanks Pat, and everyone else. I guess I'll just have to wait and see... when I start getting more than one egg ever couple of days I'll know for sure if they are both laying or not.

 

[anitapreciouspearl]

I have sex-links as well and I have also noted the eggs were a range of colors from dark brown to greyish but as they began to lay more regularly they all turned brown. Just an interesting occurance but nothing to worry about.

Isn't it cool?!