Australorp PALE yolks and few eggs

[sarspie]

Hi just looking for some advice on my heritage Australorp who only started laying a few weeks ago. I’ve had Australorp utility hens before and they always laid almost everyday! Betty is Probably only laying about 3 eggs a week which surprises me! She had been sneezing but without any other symptoms so I ended up putting it down to being a greedy eater as it always happened around the times she was chowing down! Her eggs also have VERY pale yolks which I’ve never experienced from my free range backyard hens before ever! They look worse than store bought ones! My Araucana, Veronica is outdoing her in the egg laying and yolk color! I’m just a little frustrated since I got her because I was told they were really reliable layers.. she was the smallest of the group when I bought her and quite timid but she’s very friendly now. She has free range to the whole garden and I’ve been feeding them layer mash which they recommended at Heritage Hatching and Hens where I got them from, plus all the grasshoppers and catapillars I find in the veggie gardens! Plus they got meal worms for Xmas so plenty of protein happening. Should I be worried that she has a deficiency? Or is it just the way she is? She also will not squat for me where all of my chickens have done that when they’re mature. Confused!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Australorp who only started laying a few weeks ago.

Betty is Probably only laying about 3 eggs a week which surprises me! She had been sneezing

Her eggs also have VERY pale yolks

I’m just a little frustrated since I got her because I was told they were really reliable layers.. she was the smallest of the group when I bought her and quite timid but she’s very friendly now. She has free range to the whole garden and I’ve been feeding them layer mash which they recommended at Heritage Hatching and Hens where I got them from, plus all the grasshoppers and catapillars I find in the veggie gardens!

Hi @sarspie Welcome To BYC!
Can you post some photos of Betty and the eggs?

My understanding, egg yolk color is dependent on carotenoids you can read about that here:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/31/pale-yolks/

As for her laying - she has just recently come into lay. You don't mention where you live (state/country). I'm going to say you are in AU correct?
As she matures, her production may increase, it may not - there is no way to tell really. Each bird is unique. We can get information about the number of eggs a certain breed lays each year, but that is averages.

I'm sure there are things that you can feed her to make the egg yolks darker. Someone else would have to make suggestions for that.

Give her time to mature, you don't mention how old she is, but hopefully as she gets older her production will go up.
Just curious - which Australorp did you purchase from Heritage hatching and hens - the "hybrid" or "pure breed utility"?
http://www.heritagehatchingandhens.com.au/?LAYING-HEN-BREEDS/Black-Australorp-(Hybrid);Dept;22
http://www.heritagehatchingandhens.com.au/?LAYING-HEN-BREEDS/Pure-Breed-Australorp-Utility;Dept;3162

 

[sarspie]

Oh yes, forgot to mention country! I’m from Brisbane, Queensland. It’s been horrendously hot so maybe she’s a little heat stressed too. I’m not worried about the color of her yolks unless it indicates a deficiency or a sign of something wrong. She seems to eat the same foods as the other chicken but I’ve just never seen a free ranging yolk so pale before! She’s a pure utility Australorp I believe, I’ve had a the hybrid version before and I don’t think she ever missed a day laying! Not quite sure how old she is. I’ve had her for 2 months and she’s only been laying for about a month. I asked if she was point of lay before I got her and the girl said yes, yet both her and the Araucana started laying at the same time and I was told that Veronica the Araucana wasn't laying yet. So who knows how old they are!

 

[Ribh]

Hens fed diets based on wheat, barley, sorghum or other non-pigmented grains will produce eggs with pale yolks. Eggs from birds fed a corn-based diet will have yellow yolks, while those from hens fed natural or synthetic pigments, or such feed ingredients as alfalfa meal, will be various shades of orange. Riverina.com.au

The heat may be affecting her as well ~ as in reduced feeding. My Australorps produce paler yolks than my Rocks yet their diet is essentially the same but they are a bigger bird & more affected by our present heat.

 

[aart]

The heat may be affecting her as well ~ as in reduced feeding.

Exactly.
A dose of electrolytes can help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh yes, forgot to mention country! I’m from Brisbane, Queensland. It’s been horrendously hot so maybe she’s a little heat stressed too. I’m not worried about the color of her yolks unless it indicates a deficiency or a sign of something wrong. She seems to eat the same foods as the other chicken but I’ve just never seen a free ranging yolk so pale before! She’s a pure utility Australorp I believe, I’ve had a the hybrid version before and I don’t think she ever missed a day laying! Not quite sure how old she is. I’ve had her for 2 months and she’s only been laying for about a month. I asked if she was point of lay before I got her and the girl said yes, yet both her and the Araucana started laying at the same time and I was told that Veronica the Araucana wasn't laying yet. So who knows how old they are!

I agree, heat can be very stressful, some pullets/hens stop laying if they are stressed, so this is something to consider.
I've found that some don't handle heat as well as others. I only have one BA left, but even in NC where we don't get as hot as you in AU she suffers terribly from heat and humidity so she does slow down a bit.

 

[TashaFrancois]

She could be sick. I would be safe rather than sorry and bring her in for a few days. When I do this, I give the hen a warm and gentle bath. Gently towel dry and then blow dry her. If she has boogies I help clean them. Give a safe warm place to sleep with plenty of food and water. Look into vitamins and water additives to give her and the whole flock. I hope she comes back as your strongest layer!

 

[sarspie]

She could be sick. I would be safe rather than sorry and bring her in for a few days. When I do this, I give the hen a warm and gentle bath. Gently towel dry and then blow dry her. If she has boogies I help clean them. Give a safe warm place to sleep with plenty of food and water. Look into vitamins and water additives to give her and the whole flock. I hope she comes back as your strongest layer!

I’ll definitely go and get some vitamins, although it’s stinking hot here in Queensland, Australia so she’s definitely warm. I managed to catch her yesterday and had a really good look at her, she didn’t have a runny nose or puffy eyes or anything... maybe she did have a touch of something and this is the very end of it? I’m hoping she is just a bit heat stressed and nothing more serious. They have underneath our deck to cool off in all the dirt there, but there’s not much more I can do for them as they don’t care for the sprinkler

 

[sarspie]

I

Exactly.
A dose of electrolytes can help.

ll try that! Thanks! I do add a little apple cider vinegar to their water everyday, but maybe she’s just dehydrated. Will go and grab some today

 

[TashaFrancois]

I’ll definitely go and get some vitamins, although it’s stinking hot here in Queensland, Australia so she’s definitely warm. I managed to catch her yesterday and had a really good look at her, she didn’t have a runny nose or puffy eyes or anything... maybe she did have a touch of something and this is the very end of it? I’m hoping she is just a bit heat stressed and nothing more serious. They have underneath our deck to cool off in all the dirt there, but there’s not much more I can do for them as they don’t care for the sprinkler

I give mine frozen veggies in the summer