Brown Egg layers laying green/olive eggs?

[rosemarythyme]

everything goes into the compost to be tilled in where we want to garden this spring. I had avoided giving them shell/egg because I thought I'd read somewhere it could habituate them to eating their own eggs. I guess not? They have access to oyster shell as they want.

If you're satisfied with using them in compost no reason not to continue. I put eggshells out as calcium (along with oyster shell) and I compost some too. No issues with egg eating. But either way, the shells are getting reused.

 

[NatJ]

re: composting: we're in southern Indiana...the soil on this property is complete garbage clay...in some places it is 'clay' and not 'clay like'. So, everything goes into the compost to be tilled in where we want to garden this spring.

Some people put everything compostable into the chicken run, and then when it's nicely broken down they move it to the garden.

If you are able to put the chickens in the garden area, you can even save moving the stuff: just move the chickens out in the spring and till everything under, then till again a few weeks later and plant your crops.

Things typically compost faster if they go through a chicken (eaten, digested, pooped out the other end). Things the chickens do not eat will still get scratched and turned frequently, which also helps them break down.

Here is a thread where someone talks about their chickens helping make great compost:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/harvesting-my-chicken-run-compost-black-gold.1529564/

 

[MMelton67]

The chickens do get everything except things described on different lists here on this forum. It's mostly coffee grounds and onion skins going in the compost. But, apparently these chickens are picky...they turn their nose up at a lot of things for whatever reason. They wouldn't even eat some older (not rotten) tomatoes and I thought they were supposed to go after tomatoes. We have a tall persimmon tree right near the run and I've tossed downed persimmons in. The Rocks don't like them but the Orps do. I've attached a sketch of sorts of my plan. Three total coops with three 8x40 foot runs 6' tall. The coops are on wheels and the plan is to rotate them through the different runs and then garden in 1 of each set every spring. We have heavy deer presence most of the time (though, they friggen disappeared when I sat out there waiting every morning and evening during season) We just planted our first 2 fruit trees in the alleys between sections. So, yes, the plan is to take advantage of the free composted fertilizer.

 

[fuzzi]

Yea, it did look bluer as compared to white paper. gotcha. re: composting: we're in southern Indiana...the soil on this property is complete garbage clay...in some places it is 'clay' and not 'clay like'. So, everything goes into the compost to be tilled in where we want to garden this spring. I had avoided giving them shell/egg because I thought I'd read somewhere it could habituate them to eating their own eggs. I guess not? They have access to oyster shell as they want.

Years ago we lived in upstate South Carolina, true red clay, "Adobe brick" country. That's where I started composting EVERYTHING. I would rip up cereal boxes, bill envelopes, lots of different stuff. I put rinds and harder parts of vegetables and fruit in the blender before adding it to the soil. A regular rototiller bounced instead of tilling, but a friend had a big Troybilt Pony tiller that she lent us. It was able to break up the clay.

We have gray clay and sand here in eastern NC. Instead of breaking my back trying to dig I put down sheets of cardboard, flattened boxes, where I plan to dig. It works even better if I put a layer of leaves under the cardboard. Within a month or two the soil under what's left of the cardboard is friable, and contains lots of worms and millipedes (pill bugs, roll polys).

 

[MMelton67]

Years ago we lived in upstate South Carolina, true red clay, "Adobe brick" country. That's where I started composting EVERYTHING. I would rip up cereal boxes, bill envelopes, lots of different stuff. I put rinds and harder parts of vegetables and fruit in the blender before adding it to the soil. A regular rototiller bounced instead of tilling, but a friend had a big Troybilt Pony tiller that she lent us. It was able to break up the clay.

We have gray clay and sand here in eastern NC. Instead of breaking my back trying to dig I put down sheets of cardboard, flattened boxes, where I plan to dig. It works even better if I put a layer of leaves under the cardboard. Within a month or two the soil under what's left of the cardboard is friable, and contains lots of worms and millipedes (pill bugs, roll polys).

yea, I grew up in Orange County, NC. Known for it's red clay soil. Our other endeavor here is growing mushrooms to sell. Just started this year so nothing happening yet. We've 5 acres 80% covered in Oak and Hickory. We just bought the place a year ago and the previous owners didn't do anything with the property. This fall all leaves in the 'yard' areas were mulched and gathered into piles for composting. Also, I tapped into a website 'ChipDrop' and while it took months because we aren't close to any city, we did get two huge piles of chipped wood debris from a company clearing substations for $20 total. Somewhere around 30 yards or more. There is a lot of potential to change the soil with just what's here on the property.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Yes if you look closely at this ones head you see a puff of hair. All my Easter Eggers have this that I got from Tractor Supply - they get them from Hoovers Hatchery.

 

[Rare]

I'm dying to find Olive or Easter egger in my country and someone complains that he has.

 

[Fallenone05]

I'm dying to find Olive or Easter egger in my country and someone complains that he has.

It wasn't a complaint necessarily - they're just wondering why a breed advertised as something that lays brown was laying green eggs. That'd be weird to see when you're expecting something entirely different, like something is potentially wrong with the bird.

 

[Littlefoxhat]

I have a Welsummer (I think) who lays green eggs, not brown like the breed usually does. I was thinking maybe she's mixed, but she looks just like every other Welsummer I've seen.

 

[Fallenone05]

I have a Welsummer (I think) who lays green eggs, not brown like the breed usually does. I was thinking maybe she's mixed, but she looks just like every other Welsummer I've seen.

I have one that also looks like a Welsummer. She's a Starlight Green Egger or some new fangled Easter Egger mix.