Brown egg layer laying white

[emd1174]

I just acquired 3 young hens from someone. I was told that their hatch date was 2/23/2017. I was told that they were just starting to lay. I realize that there may be a delay in laying for me because of the stress of being in a new home. I have them in a large dog crate with shavings, food, and water inside the chicken coop. When I checked on them this afternoon, I found a WHITE egg, it was smaller like a new chicken would lay, but it was WHITE!? The 3 chickens are 1 cuckoo maran and 2 English Welsummers. They are supposed to be dark brown! This egg was not cream colored, it was white. Is this normal? I don't remember that with the many other brown egg layers I've had. Anyone had any experience with this?

 

[sevenfatcows]

Brown Leghorn chicks and Welsummer chicks are just about identical. I think that is what is going on here. This is a common hatchery or feed store error. It happened to me this year also; two "Welsummer" chicks turned out to be Brown Leghorns. The Leghorns will be really good layers, but it is disappointing when what you wanted was dark brown eggs. For me, the problem was worse because we sold the "Welsummer" chicks, and I am sure I am not the only one who wound up with Leghorns instead....nobody has come back with a complaint yet...fingers crossed.

 

[3riverschick]

It's the very first egg
it's possible did it just didn't get painted. brown color is painted on the outside of the egg. if the hens are just starting to lay , all the mechanism may not be in concert yet. give it a couple days and let them lay several more eggs and see what happens .
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Or as 7 Cows said , they could be Leghorns.
Karen

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

As noted above you may have a misidentified breed (photo would help) our simply a misfire in the assembly line.

 

[aart]

Spray booth might not be up and running...
...but pic to confirm breed is an excellent idea.

 

[Chick N Momma]

I just acquired 3 young hens from someone. I was told that their hatch date was 2/23/2017. I was told that they were just starting to lay. I realize that there may be a delay in laying for me because of the stress of being in a new home. I have them in a large dog crate with shavings, food, and water inside the chicken coop. When I checked on them this afternoon, I found a WHITE egg, it was smaller like a new chicken would lay, but it was WHITE!? The 3 chickens are 1 cuckoo maran and 2 English Welsummers. They are supposed to be dark brown! This egg was not cream colored, it was white. Is this normal? I don't remember that with the many other brown egg layers I've had. Anyone had any experience with this?

Hi ALL, I'm actually emd1174 - that was a user name I had on an old acct and accidentally signed in on that when I was posting this question.

Anyway, it turns out that I was sold chickens that were misidentified as Welsummers. They ARE brown leghorns. White ear flaps. Clearly seen. Obviously, the woman who sold them to me was sold the wrong chicks. She got them from a local Agway. I don't know how often that happens, but I once ordered ducks through Away and the hatchery screwed up my order BIG time. I ordered 4 khaki Campbells and 2 blue runners and ended up with 1 khaki campbell, 3 blue runners and 2 odd mixed runners. It was bizarre. Agway said it wasn't their fault, so they did nothing about it.

Well, since my white leghorns have stopped laying at 4 years old, I don't have any other white eggs, so it's not a big deal to my buyers.

Thanks all, for your help!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi ALL, I'm actually emd1174 - that was a user name I had on an old acct and accidentally signed in on that when I was posting this question.

Anyway, it turns out that I was sold chickens that were misidentified as Welsummers. They ARE brown leghorns. White ear flaps. Clearly seen. Obviously, the woman who sold them to me was sold the wrong chicks. She got them from a local Agway. I don't know how often that happens, but I once ordered ducks through Away and the hatchery screwed up my order BIG time. I ordered 4 khaki Campbells and 2 blue runners and ended up with 1 khaki campbell, 3 blue runners and 2 odd mixed runners. It was bizarre. Agway said it wasn't their fault, so they did nothing about it.

Well, since my white leghorns have stopped laying at 4 years old, I don't have any other white eggs, so it's not a big deal to my buyers.

Thanks all, for your help!

FWIW. those two breeds are commonly mixed up up as they are identical as chicks and it's often only when ear lobe color develops that the difference is apparent