Question about egg color

[1dog1cat6chicks]

I have four chickens. Two are heritage breeds (Buff Orpington and Black Austrolorp) and two are TSC Easter Eggers.
The Buff is not laying anymore (about four years old) and the Austrolorp has been laying a bit (also four years old).
The Easter Eggers are younger, around two.

So, none of them have laid much lately--it's winter, not much daylight, and the one Easter Egger (Esther) was sick for awhile, and then went into a pretty hard molt.
She's doing better now.

Well, within the past few weeks Martha, the other EE, started laying again. I am pretty sure it's only her who is laying, as I'm getting only about four eggs a week.
When she first restarted laying, her eggs were the same color as usual--light green. Now, however, the eggs are much darker, almost an olive green.

I was under the impression that their eggs do NOT change color. But these are definitely much darker than usual. Any idea what could be going on??

Also, while Esther has largely recovered from her illness, there's still a lot of not-really-solid poop on the poop hammock every morning. Not watery, but not the usual either. I don't know if it's her or not.....also a couple of weeks ago I found a very odd looking yellowish, hard blob on the poop hammock.

Can anyone offer any insight?

 

[Brooks_]

I have read that the do change color. Both seasonally and annually. Likely nothing to be concerned about.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Likely just a heavier bloom, it happens sometimes for a bit

 

[SouthofFla]

Darker, and also nice thick shells? Because normally darker means more time in the part of the tract where the outer shell layers get deposited. This can be caused by weather/season, dietary changes, health changes, any number of things. It might change back, or it might not. It's not a problem, though.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Eggs at the start of the season are often more pigmented because the (not sure what the technical term is) "spray painter" is full of pigment, and it gets used up through the year, so eggs may overall get lighter towards tail end of laying season.

also a couple of weeks ago I found a very odd looking yellowish, hard blob on the poop hammock.

This is possibly concerning. How large was it? Did you try cutting it open? Did you take any photos of it? If you're not familiar with salpingitis (lash egg) look up some photos and see if that matches the type of thing you saw.

 

[aart]

I was under the impression that their eggs do NOT change color. But these are definitely much darker than usual. Any idea what could be going on??

You have an 'Olive Egger'(brown coating on a blue shell),
the color can vary quite drastically with some of them.
Nothing to worry about.

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

No, I didn't examine the odd blob too closely, but it was definitely not poop!
As for size, it was about the size of a large poop. And yes, it did look rather like photos of a lash egg. What do I do about that? All of the hens are acting pretty normal......

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

Eggs at the start of the season are often more pigmented because the (not sure what the technical term is) "spray painter" is full of pigment, and it gets used up through the year, so eggs may overall get lighter towards tail end of laying season.

This is possibly concerning. How large was it? Did you try cutting it open? Did you take any photos of it? If you're not familiar with salpingitis (lash egg) look up some photos and see if that matches the type of thing you saw.

Spray painter

I actually did take a photo of it, but must have deleted it from my phone.
Oh, and there were two other smaller blobs, roughly egg-shaped but little....same color as the large blob.

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

I was able to recover the photo! Can't believe I figured that out.

 

[NatJ]

When she first restarted laying, her eggs were the same color as usual--light green. Now, however, the eggs are much darker, almost an olive green.

I was under the impression that their eggs do NOT change color. But these are definitely much darker than usual. Any idea what could be going on??

A hen will always lay the "same" color of eggs-- except when she doesn't.

She will not change whether they are white-based or blue-based eggs.

She will usually not change whether they have a coating of brown on the outside (makes a white egg into a brown one, or a blue egg into a green one.) Occasionally, an egg will get laid without the brown coating (white egg from a hen that usually lays brown, or blue from a hen that usually lays green.)

But a hen will sometimes change how much brown goes on an egg. So brown eggs may be slightly lighter or darker from one day to the next, and from one month to the next. And green eggs may be darker (more brown) or lighter (less brown.) The amount of brown typically goes down as a hen lays for longer, but it can vary back and forth by a noticeable amount, sometimes even from one day to another.

I think your hen's darker eggs are just part normal variation, a bit more obvious than usual.