Change of color in eggs

[coyiak]

Hello,

We have a 1 1/2 yr old Speckled Sussex who has always laid white eggs. She molted a few weeks ago and has started laying again, except her eggs are now tan colored! Is this typical? I have never heard or read about this. She has had a bit of "trama" in her little life including emergency surgery and recent "ousting" from the flock which kept her indoors for about 3 weeks to heal. I'm wondering if stress could be a cause here. Thanks for your feedback!!

 

[Den in Penn]

It may be possible that when she started to lay she did not have enough of the raw materials to make much brown pigment, so her eggs were nearly white. After she molted and took a break in laying she has a sufficient stock pile of material to make enough pigment.

 

[coyiak]

Thats interesting! Never though of that. It threw me off because I thought Speckled Sussex were suppose to lay white eggs. Her eggs are becoming less brown now but are still tan colored though she is laying every other day. I have another girl thats about to start laying again too. It will be interesting to see of thats what she does. Thanks!

 

[dirtsaver]

We have had two groups of Speckled Sussex and both of them laid a light tan to pinkish beige egg. Normally chickens lay their darkest/more colorful egg at the start of the laying cycle.As that cycle progresses the eggs slowly get lighter,then at the start of the next cycle(after molting) the eggs are darker and the process repeats.

As with anything else,there are exceptions to the rule.

 

[coyiak]

Our girl is back to laying her normal white and oddly shaped eggs again after about 4 weeks. Chickens are such interesting animals!

 

[ernndbrtt]

We have 17 Buff Orp hens and no two eggs look alike, they are all different sizes, shapes and colors. We do not know who lays what to know if one particular hen is laying different colors, etc. from day to day but from my reading and talking to long time chicken folks I've come to understand that as long as the shells are solid and the hens are healthy, there isn't anything to worry about.