Buff Orp laying White Eggs?

[MamaDragon]

I've aquired a group of four BO hens three weeks ago, ranging in age from 3 years old on down. (Two roosters as well). I got them because they had stopped laying for their previous owners (two owners in less than 6 months, and no eggs), so I got them.

I've only got 1 hen, a White Leghorn that lays white eggs.

For the last three days, I've had two white eggs a day, one on the BO side of the coop, and one on the leghorn/RIR side. I've left the door between the two sides open in the daytime, and all of them have the run of the yard in the daytime.

When I looked up the color eggs BO's lay, most sources say brown eggs, which is what I wanted, and one source says Yellow eggs (never heard of a yellow egg before, but OK)

Any ideas anyone?

Kathy

 

[scrapmom5]

This is totally a guess but...egg color is a genetic thing. For example an EE is bred specifically for the green/blue egg color. Sometimes you are not so lucky and get brown eggs from ee layers.

My guess is the BO may have been cross bred somewhere down the line with a white egg layer and now has the gene for white eggs. It's offspring may or may not lay white or brown eggs.

So to sum it all up...It is all in the genes.

 

[Jessika]

One of my buff orps (bought just 1 orp ...in the begining..lol) she lays a very pale egg. It is darn close to my leghorns white.

 

[MamaDragon]

The Buff Orps were all from a local breeder.... so I assumed that they were of "pure stock", and of better quality than hatchery birds.

I can't complain tho.... they didn't cost me anything but the feed they eat, so I guess as long as it's laying, I'll take it!

Thanks Y'all

Kathy

 

[Carolina Chicken Man]

I have 9 bo hens. It seems that they all lay a different shade, from a fairly dark brown, to a pale pink.

 

[speckledhen]

I have one Buff Orp hen AND one RIR hen who lay cream colored eggs. Someone here called them "porcelain bisque", to be more descriptive.

 

[MamaDragon]

Thanks All!

At least I know I'm not losing my itty-bitty mind....

So- is white or brown the dominant gene? anybody know how that works?

Also, just what is a Yellow egg?

Kathy