Bantam laying darker eggs as she continues laying?

[Mushroomchef]

Hi all!

I was wondering if a hen can start laying darker eggs. One of my bantams started laying last week and it was a white egg. Then she laid a second and third egg and it was creamy white. Then a fourth and fifth and it was almost light brown. It's the row on top from left to right. I'm not 100% sure if it's from the same hen because I do have some other hens, but the rest I'm pretty sure haven't started laying yet (Golden laced wyondotte, silver laced barnevelder, polish, silkie, RIR, welsummer). And the ones that started laying, I know their egg color (barred rock who's been laying everyday the past 10 days, the other bantam laid her first blue egg today, and cuckoo marans, she stopped laying in the fall).

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I was wondering if a hen can start laying darker eggs.

Simple answer is yes.. Shade can vary early in the lay cycle and even throughout.. being darker after a day off from laying and lighter towards the end of that "set".

In Marans for example.. the egg shade is considered to be in it normal range around the 22nd one laid. Since new layer hiccups including soft eggs, fairy eggs, etc.. can happen and is one of the reason why more experienced or cautious people may chose to wait instead of attempting to hatch these "pullet" eggs... Once they level off and seem to be hitting a groove or reach a certain size depending on breed standard.. is when one would start hatching with LESS worry over deformities etc caused by new layer hiccups.

Rate of follicle release is even light dependent.. more light means more eggs they produce (still in accordance with their genetics). Sometimes by the end of the season they may be running low on pigment or mid season, eggs *might* be going through the color booth faster.. the simplified version, is all my brain can produce today..

Your eggs are lovely, congrats!

 

[Mushroomchef]

Simple answer is yes.. Shade can vary early in the lay cycle and even throughout.. being darker after a day off from laying and lighter towards the end of that "set".

In Marans for example.. the egg shade is considered to be in it normal range around the 22nd one laid. Since new layer hiccups including soft eggs, fairy eggs, etc.. can happen and is one of the reason why more experienced or cautious people may chose to wait instead of attempting to hatch these "pullet" eggs... Once they level off and seem to be hitting a groove or reach a certain size depending on breed standard.. is when one would start hatching with LESS worry over deformities etc caused by new layer hiccups.

Rate of follicle release is even light dependent.. more light means more eggs they produce (still in accordance with their genetics). Sometimes by the end of the season they may be running low on pigment or mid season, eggs *might* be going through the color booth faster.. the simplified version, is all my brain can produce today..

Your eggs are lovely, congrats!

Thank you for the insight!

 

[Mushroomchef]

Update: she just laid another egg 15 minutes ago and it was light brown.