Chicken laying different color eggs.

[SemiSweet2391]

My EE usually lays green eggs but today she laid this light brown one!! I have a camera in the coop so I know it was her. Crazy. She’s a new layer so I guess it’s a fluke?

 

[Slothinc]

My EE usually lays green eggs but today she laid this light brown one!! I have a camera in the coop so I know it was her. Crazy. She’s a new layer so I guess it’s a fluke?

That seems almost impossible because the green egg is a layer of brown over a blue shell. But they wouldn’t stop laying a blue shelled egg (to be able to give you a brown egg!)

Is it at all possible that another chicken went in there and laid the brown one and then your EE went in and hung out in there but didn’t lay? Since she is a new layer, they do that as they are getting used to things. The other thing that makes me suspect that is the size and shape difference between the eggs. If she truly did lay both, then I must say that I am stumped!

 

[aart]

She’s a new layer so I guess it’s a fluke?

Sorry. It's an error in the keepers judgement.

But they wouldn’t stop laying a blue shelled egg (to be able to give you a brown egg!)

Exactly.

 

[Devyn Nagy]

green eggs are brown eggs over a blue base instead of a white base

You learn something new every day. That's really neat!

 

[SemiSweet2391]

That seems almost impossible because the green egg is a layer of brown over a blue shell. But they wouldn’t stop laying a blue shelled egg (to be able to give you a brown egg!)

Is it at all possible that another chicken went in there and laid the brown one and then your EE went in and hung out in there but didn’t lay? Since she is a new layer, they do that as they are getting used to things. The other thing that makes me suspect that is the size and shape difference between the eggs. If she truly did lay both, then I must say that I am stumped!

Oh. I’ll double check.

 

[SemiSweet2391]

Is it at all possible that another chicken went in there and laid the brown one and then your EE went in and hung out in there but didn’t lay?

You’re right! But in my defense they schemed to trick me. Here is how my chickens gaslit me

Here is the nest with the fake egg right before my EE hops into it.

Here it is right after she hops out (that’s her in front). So I thought, what the?? I guess she laid it.

Here is the nest before the true layer entered the nest (ETA that this happened before the EE shenanigans). Once again, the fake egg.

And here it is after she left. To me, it just looks like one egg. This hen comes to the nest every day but hasn’t laid for 6 months. I thought she was retired honestly, until last week when she laid one out of the blue that looked just like this suspect egg. So I did look through to see if it was her, but I thought I only saw one egg! It has to be her though. But yeah they did their best to gaslight me!

 

[Slothinc]

You’re right! But in my defense they schemed to trick me. Here is how my chickens gaslit me

View attachment 4035504
Here is the nest with the fake egg right before my EE hops into it.

View attachment 4035505

Here it is right after she hops out (that’s her in front). So I thought, what the?? I guess she laid it.

View attachment 4035507

Here is the nest before the true layer entered the nest (ETA that this happened before the EE shenanigans). Once again, the fake egg.

View attachment 4035508

And here it is after she left. To me, it just looks like one egg. This hen comes to the nest every day but hasn’t laid for 6 months. I thought she was retired honestly, until last week when she laid one out of the blue that looked just like this suspect egg. So I did look through to see if it was her, but I thought I only saw one egg! It has to be her though. But yeah they did their best to gaslight me!

Good job solving the mystery lol that is so funny!! Your chickens are hilarious!!

 

[BackyardinWales]

It might take several days of forgetfulness, but I appreciate when I do get the 4.

 

[TheGardeningButler]

"pigments, genetics, diet, and environmental conditions" are all the factors that contribute to egg coloring outputs. With that said, Olive eggers are prime producers of the most beautiful variations and variety of egg colors. Unfortunately so farm, my Light Brahmas are very consistant with their brown colored eggs that are very consistent since starting to lay during the winter. I cant wait to observe the variations if any when it gets warmer from spring into summer and fall.

 

[bugzziee]

I agree. Any pullet or hen can have an egg-laying glitch at any time. The egg-laying process is pretty complicated, in some ways it is surprising there aren't more glitches. As long as it is an isolated event I don't worry about it at all. If it becomes a repeat event I might become concerned, depending on what it is.

Even if something like this became a permanent change it would not concern me. I don't see it as a threat to her quality of life or to the quality of her eggs.

Since the brown coating is put on during the last half hour or so in the egg gland my guess is that something caused her to lay the egg earlier than normal in her egg-laying cycle. That is relatively common. And generates a lot of threads like this.

listen to this “glitch”. i have a chicken laying deeply lined or ridges in her eggs. what would cause that? wished i could see to post a pic but i don’t see a way.