Brown egg question

[shortgrass]

I could see the possibility of that theory LG. We never had any white egg layers when I was little, and after that, white eggs were just about all that we could find in the store. Now the store is full if different kinds of brown eggs, and only 2-3 different white egg cartons to pick from.

But now we have all these hybrids that they never had back in the day. Like mom, she didn't know if they were even a breed, just "little red hens" or "stripey ones"... We've got so many choices anymore it's overwhelming! And now we throw in some green eggs as well... I've noticed the blue green CLB eggs going for as much as $8 a dozen! All they are is pretty, not a better egg, but people will pay more for something " new and exciting "

Australorps lay a nice darker brown egg, too BTW. Not near as dark as Marans, but they're a deep reddish brown, real pretty round eggs.

 

[lazy gardener]

People love my chicken eggs. I strive to have a colorful egg basket. My girls get FF, and free range when predator issues are not preventing that. I am convinced that eggs from birds that get FF have a better flavor. There is a discernible difference in the eggs of home raised chickens compared to even the "pastured, or organic, or free range/cage free" eggs that are sold at the grocery store. When store eggs can now be bought for $.88/doz, the folks who buy my eggs at $3/doz are greatly disappointed when they are not available.

When I was growing up, there was a hatchery in the town I now live in. There was a poultry farm just a couple of miles up the street from me. My mom would buy pullet eggs (called Pee-Wee) in a 3 doz egg flat, and sometimes would buy "seconds". The seconds might be thin shelled, or have a hair line crack, but were perfectly ok for consumption. To my knowledge there are no longer commercial hatcheries or poultry farms in my area. (Dairy has also disappeared from my area.) My county used to be the "poultry capitol" of the state. I fear that is becoming the way of farming. Smaller operations are being driven out by the mega farms. When the nations food supply is controlled by big ag and there are no local sources, the general population looses yet one more freedom, being dependent on the whims of big ag and government for their food supply. Yet one more reason why I am doing what I am doing, and will continue to do so as long as I have the strength to do it!!!

 

[donrae]

Not sure what you mean by "standard" breed.

Dark eggers are Marans, Barnevelders and Penedesenca. Welsummers usually have a nice dark egg also, more along the lines of terra cotta than chocolate.

Of your more common breeds, it's more an individual hen thing than a breed thing. A younger hen lays a darker egg, also. Color lightens up as she moves through the laying cycle.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

INMO they cost more because they where originally marketed as less common and better than white eggs and that marketing has worked... at one time the white eggs where rare and the more expensive egg, so farmers moved to breeding and improving the white egg layers to get more bucks... now the same energy is being put into brown layers for the same reason. Any chicken breed can have it's laying improved by proper selection or destroyed by improper selection... many breeds where once popular egg layers but have been ignored in this area for generations because they had brown eggs.

No argument on my part.

In the late 19th and early 20th Century hens laid at most about 6 or 7 dozen eggs per year, and hen health was abysmal..

The laying breeds were just coming on line.

At this time egg brokers traveled around the country in the Summer time buying up ever loose eggs at fire sale prices.

These eggs were either encased in water glass or coated in lard then stored in either caves or commercial refrigeration facilities.

The older ones of you out there think back and remember your mother and grand-mothers breaking out eggs in a tea cup before she added the contents to her mixing bowl or frying pan. There had to be a reason and the reason was that many of the eggs she used around Christmas time were anywhere from 6 to 9 months old.

 

[Ljc01]

Years and years ago, I did my college senior project on why people had different opinions about white eggs vs brown eggs. It was really amazing what people thought.
Yes, I did get a college degree in Poultry Production.

 

[chickmomma5683]

My RIRs and leghorns are all laying tiny brown eggs. Why are they so small? The two roosters I have are a RIR and an Ameracauna

Of the standard brown egg laying breeds, which breed lays the large darkest brown egg?
This is without exception of the Marans, only the standard breed.

 

[shortgrass]

My RIRs and leghorns are all laying tiny brown eggs. Why are they so small? The two roosters I have are a RIR and an Ameracauna

If they're new layers, their eggs will be a bit small until their cycle regulates. There will be smaller eggs for the first couple of weeks, about.

 

[donrae]

My RIRs and leghorns are all laying tiny brown eggs. Why are they so small? The two roosters I have are a RIR and an Ameracauna

If your "Leghorns" are laying brown eggs, they're not Leghorns. Probably white Rocks instead.

Most breeds start out small and work their way to larger eggs. My Rocks that are pullets are giving me eggs about the size of my Silkie's eggs right now. They'll get larger over the next few months.

The roosters have zero influence over the size/shape/color/frequency of the eggs the hens lay.

 

[Peeps61]

If your "Leghorns" are laying brown eggs, they're not Leghorns. Probably white Rocks instead.

Most breeds start out small and work their way to larger eggs. My Rocks that are pullets are giving me eggs about the size of my Silkie's eggs right now. They'll get larger over the next few months.

The roosters have zero influence over the size/shape/color/frequency of the eggs the hens lay.

Agree with Donrae here. I have brown and white leghorns and they lay white eggs. The brown leghorns lay nice, BIG white eggs too!

 

[shortgrass]

Lol I didn't even notice that they mentioned leghorns; good catch @donrae

I've never had leghorns, thanks to that obnoxious Foghorn Leghorn on Looney Tunes

Maybe it's time to try; I am lacking for big white eggs in my basket

So, is the rule of thumb on red earlobes= brown eggs, white earlobes=white eggs ALWAYS true?