Brown Leghorn laying brown eggs?? Is it possible?

[Justicedog]

I've got 6 hens. A black australorp, buff orpington, barred rock, light brahma, an araucana and a brown leghorn. I got them all in April.

The first four have been laying eggs since September. The araucana has a crooked beak and hasn't laid. I'm not sure she ever will. Bummer as I was hoping for a blue egg. The brown leghorn hasn't laid yet either that I know of. A month ago she'd hang out in the nesting boxes and perhaps pretend, but she wasn't squatting. 2-3 weeks ago she started squatting. However, no white egg.

I get a steady supply of 3-4 brown eggs a day. Sometimes only 2, but usually 3-4. This seems like a lot considering there's less light and I don't supplement. So, is it possible that the leghorn is laying brown eggs too? She's got white ears. She was the first to get her red comb and waddle and ears.

It just seems so odd that she's not laying yet that I started thinking maybe she won't lay white eggs.

 

[sumi]

At least 4 of the breeds you've got are brown egg layers, so I'm thinking the Leghorn's not laying yet. I've got 2 brown Leghorns and they lay snow white eggs. Leghorns are legendary layers, so it is odd that she's not laying yet. Mine doesn't get supplemented light and they lay daily. Australorps I know are good layers and my BR hen is doing very well too, so they must be the breeds doing the laying by you.

 

[mandelyn]

Not likely she's laying brown, unless she's not really a leghorn. But then she'd have different ears.

The Americauna will more than likely lay a green egg. And start way later than the others. The cross beak shouldn't inhibit her laying abilities. But don't be surprised if she holds out to 18 months! Shouldn't take that long, but it might.

This is why I like dabbling with different breeds, usually someone is laying somewhere. If you get all one strain, and that particular strain is a late layer, you could wait a very long time for eggs! I have different ages too, so that they're not all on the same break rotation.

 

[debid]

Pullets tend to lay through the winter without supplemental light. It's next year when they'll molt and shut down the machinery.

I know that the brown Leghorns are less production-oriented than the white ones but she should still be laying by now. Do they range?

 

[Justicedog]

Not much. Maybe one day a week. They've got a big enclosure and coop. It's double the recommended size for their number.

 

[debid]

I didn't mean that she might not be laying for lack of space, I was thinking she might be laying somewhere other than the nest boxes. It's been known to happen... sneaky chickens. Check your run area and any corners/hiding places in the coop. I found eggs in weird places before they got the hang of things. My Sussex would go to the roost and drop her egg from there! (thankfully, she stopped doing that after the first week)