Arizona Chickens

[deserteggs22]

What kind of recommendations are you looking for? Feed? Housing? I could go on for paragraphs talking about broody hens....

X2

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

OK, so in my quasi-geekish need to know who lays which egg (yeah, I know almost impossible if not impossible), when, & where I "caught" Frankie one of my ameraucana/ee (whatever we want to call them) hunkered down where I found my light mint greenish egg the other night. Well, today it's a blue color. Way more saturated with color. So either she's changed up the color scheme or I've 2 out of 3 laying in the same spot. I also found a tiny,small blush/light pink type of tinted egg where I've been finding a tiny,small white egg that I'm sure my bantam sultan is laying. I think the white egg is hers due to the similarity of it to my older bantam sultan (who's still laying in her usual spot). This tinted egg is really close to hers in shape too, but a little bigger.

So, is it possible that Frankie changed up her color? I'm thinking no, but I'm genetic egg clueless. And, is it possible for a polish or crevecoeur to lay a tinted egg? Both are supposed to be white layers. Or can it sometimes happen where a white layer will throw the odd tinted egg?

I do know that there can be slight variance to color from the same hen, but generally is a shade difference of the same color. I've seen that from my sex-link and my cochin (bantam, mille fleur project so bit of d'uccle there). I can tell their eggs by size, location, shape, & even shade variance generally. The green shade with barely any color saturation (looks white in the right light) to definite blue makes me think 2 different hens. The white to the blush/pink (variance of brown I know) makes me wonder if I've another hen starting.

As suggested earlier Frankie definitely has a reddish/red comb going, but the other girls are there too. So, it's possible I've 2/3 started & the last coming along soon. Everyone is the same age bracket.

Thanks. I'm a data-geek & just have to know/figure out the puzzle. Drives me crazy til I do. Appreciate the help & patience! Of course I'm super-excited they're laying! It's fun seeing what they're laying & since they roam the yard, where! I'm kind of surprised my 1 polish took to a nestbox that 1 of my older girls use after her first couple eggs. I spotted my other polish getting into another box & checking it all out today...so maybe soon!!!

 

[DesertChic]

OK, so in my quasi-geekish need to know who lays which egg (yeah, I know almost impossible if not impossible), when, & where I "caught" Frankie one of my ameraucana/ee (whatever we want to call them) hunkered down where I found my light mint greenish egg the other night. Well, today it's a blue color. Way more saturated with color. So either she's changed up the color scheme or I've 2 out of 3 laying in the same spot. I also found a tiny,small blush/light pink type of tinted egg where I've been finding a tiny,small white egg that I'm sure my bantam sultan is laying. I think the white egg is hers due to the similarity of it to my older bantam sultan (who's still laying in her usual spot). This tinted egg is really close to hers in shape too, but a little bigger.

So, is it possible that Frankie changed up her color? I'm thinking no, but I'm genetic egg clueless. And, is it possible for a polish or crevecoeur to lay a tinted egg? Both are supposed to be white layers. Or can it sometimes happen where a white layer will throw the odd tinted egg?

I do know that there can be slight variance to color from the same hen, but generally is a shade difference of the same color. I've seen that from my sex-link and my cochin (bantam, mille fleur project so bit of d'uccle there). I can tell their eggs by size, location, shape, & even shade variance generally. The green shade with barely any color saturation (looks white in the right light) to definite blue makes me think 2 different hens. The white to the blush/pink (variance of brown I know) makes me wonder if I've another hen starting.

As suggested earlier Frankie definitely has a reddish/red comb going, but the other girls are there too. So, it's possible I've 2/3 started & the last coming along soon. Everyone is the same age bracket.

Thanks. I'm a data-geek & just have to know/figure out the puzzle. Drives me crazy til I do. Appreciate the help & patience! Of course I'm super-excited they're laying! It's fun seeing what they're laying & since they roam the yard, where! I'm kind of surprised my 1 polish took to a nestbox that 1 of my older girls use after her first couple eggs. I spotted my other polish getting into another box & checking it all out today...so maybe soon!!!

Can egg color change over time? Yes, absolutely yes, but by growing lighter, not darker and not by changing completely. Congratulations! You've got more egg layers!

Edit: There is one exception for an egg to grow darker, of course. If you hen for whatever reason had taken a long hiatus from laying, when she starts up again he egg can appear darker. Not totally different in color, but darker, and then will begin to lighten again over time.

OH...and you're not the only one obsessed with knowing who laid what egg. I actually track what each of my girls lay, both date, color, shape, location and weight. I currently have over 70 chickens, roughly 75% of which are hens/pullets, and I can examine any egg and know with a fair degree of certainty who laid it.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

Can egg color change over time? Yes, absolutely yes, but by growing lighter, not darker and not by changing completely. Congratulations! You've got more egg layers!

Edit: There is one exception for an egg to grow darker, of course. If you hen for whatever reason had taken a long hiatus from laying, when she starts up again he egg can appear darker. Not totally different in color, but darker, and then will begin to lighten again over time.

OH...and you're not the only one obsessed with knowing who laid what egg. I actually track what each of my girls lay, both date, color, shape, location and weight. I currently have over 70 chickens, roughly 75% of which are hens/pullets, and I can examine any egg and know with a fair degree of certainty who laid it.

Yay!!!! I'm not alone! lol I'm working on developing a spreadsheet to start, probably going to be a database, to track all of that & then some. Hadn't thought of weight. I haven't started as of yet cause of other things to get finished that my getting lost in data is one less distraction I need.

Woo-hoo! 1 more americauna/ee to go, gold sex-link & the polish, creve, sultan 4some to figure out. I know 1 of the 2 polish are laying & I think the sultan is the other. So, I'm wondering if the blush/tint is an off egg from my 1 (sultan assumed based solely on what my other does) who's already started or if another girl has started.

It's funny too...Frankie has blue-slate legs & has this pretty blueish feathers to her plus is the darkest feathering of the 3. Millie is the lightest. Minnie is like Frankie in the tail & head. So my theory was maybe the legs relate to the egg color....probably way wrong. I'll be curious what color the 3rd one is.

Much as an egg hunt would stink many days, each hen in a different spot would be nice. lol Even better if they'd mark the egg.

 

[DesertChic]

Yay!!!! I'm not alone! lol I'm working on developing a spreadsheet to start, probably going to be a database, to track all of that & then some. Hadn't thought of weight. I haven't started as of yet cause of other things to get finished that my getting lost in data is one less distraction I need.

Woo-hoo! 1 more americauna/ee to go, gold sex-link & the polish, creve, sultan 4some to figure out. I know 1 of the 2 polish are laying & I think the sultan is the other. So, I'm wondering if the blush/tint is an off egg from my 1 (sultan assumed based solely on what my other does) who's already started or if another girl has started.

It's funny too...Frankie has blue-slate legs & has this pretty blueish feathers to her plus is the darkest feathering of the 3. Millie is the lightest. Minnie is like Frankie in the tail & head. So my theory was maybe the legs relate to the egg color....probably way wrong. I'll be curious what color the 3rd one is.

Much as an egg hunt would stink many days, each hen in a different spot would be nice. lol Even better if they'd mark the egg.

As awesome as it would be to know what color egg a chicken will lay based on leg color, there really isn't any correlation at all. Sorry.

Spreadsheets are AWESOME! Life without Excel would be very challenging for me at this point.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

I just checked out my oegb bantam & 1 of his comb tips looks as if it's missing the top of it. I've seen the little black spots, scratches, etc. from them tussling or the girls letting them know that they aren't appreciative of the attention. The tip is now shorter by just a bit than it was. Do they grow back?

Also, their combs look dry. I'm not seeing anything resembling the scary pics of problems. Is that normal in our climate? Dry looking? No blisters, etc. I put ointment on & they look fine. Clear, bright eyes, running all over, etc. Minus the usual chill out times, it's hot, etc. To me it looks like our skin can get that dry, flakey look until the weather changes or we moisturize. Just weird.

Edit: Pics of my banty boy's comb....his poor little boo-boo.....I feel bad for the bugger. Though, he does start most of the trouble I find him in.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

As awesome as it would be to know what color egg a chicken will lay based on leg color, there really isn't any correlation at all. Sorry.

Spreadsheets are AWESOME! Life without Excel would be very challenging for me at this point.

You should try a database. Whole new world of data obsession.

I didn't there was a link between legs & eggs. I'll take whatever color they wanna give me. So long as they don't lay an egg in the tree where I catch them at least once a day. Thankfully, they haven't discovered the roof yet. I'm in so much trouble if someone decides that's a great place to lay an egg.

 

[BlueBaby]

You should try a database. Whole new world of data obsession.

I didn't there was a link between legs & eggs. I'll take whatever color they wanna give me. So long as they don't lay an egg in the tree where I catch them at least once a day. Thankfully, they haven't discovered the roof yet. I'm in so much trouble if someone decides that's a great place to lay an egg.

I can just imagine you having to grab up a ladder to get up on the roof, to get your eggs out of the gutters.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

I can just imagine you having to grab up a ladder to get up on the roof, to get your eggs out of the gutters.

lol....that's part of the problem! I don't have gutters....my patio roof is relatively flat though. i did just chop more of my tree down so there's not much up there to prevent the eggs from rolling with the wind. except for any debris that might still be there.

 

[DesertChic]

I just checked out my oegb bantam & 1 of his comb tips looks as if it's missing the top of it. I've seen the little black spots, scratches, etc. from them tussling or the girls letting them know that they aren't appreciative of the attention. The tip is now shorter by just a bit than it was. Do they grow back?

Also, their combs look dry. I'm not seeing anything resembling the scary pics of problems. Is that normal in our climate? Dry looking? No blisters, etc. I put ointment on & they look fine. Clear, bright eyes, running all over, etc. Minus the usual chill out times, it's hot, etc. To me it looks like our skin can get that dry, flakey look until the weather changes or we moisturize. Just weird.

Edit: Pics of my banty boy's comb....his poor little boo-boo.....I feel bad for the bugger. Though, he does start most of the trouble I find him in.

Unfortunately it won't grow back. And yes, that dry look is fairly normal here in the desert. I sometimes apply VetRx to my boy's combs to keep them healthy.