Could I be laying white eggs?

[mccmeadows]

This is Bloody Mary:

She was purchased sight unseen as a ready to lay Partridge Wyandotte with our 4 Blue Andalusians and 2 Buff Orpingtons (kind of a buy 6, get one free deal, so she was just a random pick) at the beginning of August. To begin, I’m not fully convinced she is a Partridge Wyandotte and am thinking more Welsummer with her big single comb. I assumed the easiest way to know this for sure would be by the colour of her egg. Mary has looked ready to lay since a few weeks after she arrived, but unfortunately she hasn’t laid an egg despite being about 40wks old.

I just keep waiting for a brown egg from her in the hen house, but nothing yet. She spends tons of time in the nesting boxes, but despite my best efforts I haven’t seen her hunker down in an empty nest and leave it with an egg in it. We do get white, mint, blue and olive eggs from her coop though, so is there any chance she could be laying any of those egg colours? What breed would she be if so?

 

[cherrynberry]

This is Bloody Mary:
View attachment 2940645
She was purchased sight unseen as a ready to lay Partridge Wyandotte with our 4 Blue Andalusians and 2 Buff Orpingtons (kind of a buy 6, get one free deal, so she was just a random pick) at the beginning of August. To begin, I’m not fully convinced she is a Partridge Wyandotte and am thinking more Welsummer with her big single comb. I assumed the easiest way to know this for sure would be by the colour of her egg. Mary has looked ready to lay since a few weeks after she arrived, but unfortunately she hasn’t laid an egg despite being about 40wks old.

I just keep waiting for a brown egg from her in the hen house, but nothing yet. She spends tons of time in the nesting boxes, but despite my best efforts I haven’t seen her hunker down in an empty nest and leave it with an egg in it. We do get white, mint, blue and olive eggs from her coop though, so is there any chance she could be laying any of those egg colours? What breed would she be if so?

She also looks like a Welsummer to me, meaning a brown layer. I have 6 Welsummers and all have been significantly slower in getting into laying. But 40wks is REALLY old. Have you checked her pelvic bones? I will get a link.

Here is the link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[mccmeadows]

She also looks like a Welsummer to me, meaning a brown layer. I have 6 Welsummers and all have been significantly slower in getting into laying. But their eggs are gorgeous. Have you checked her pelvic bones? I will get a link.

Here is the link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

She would be our only Welsummer (would love those beautiful speckled eggs if so), but our Wyandotte’s all started laying between the 20-24 week mark. Thanks for the link - I will attempt to check that tomorrow!

 

[cherrynberry]

We haven’t been able to figure out the wifi to get a smart camera set up back there. I’m about ready to just camp out in the coop! Our Wyandotte’s are in a different coop so she is the only brown layer in her house.

I have a hack for that, that may or may not work. Do you have an iphone? As crazy as it might sound, I have had success with recording a video and watching it afterwards. My phone can record for nearly 2 hours, without needing to be charged. I too, can't get wifi to reach the coop.

Another thing is is that she may have exactly missed the laying "season". Lots of birds stop or don't start laying the the winter when days are short. This is what my birds and even young pullets did to me last year. Assuming you are in the northern hemisphere.

 

[cherrynberry]

She would be our only Welsummer (would love those beautiful speckled eggs if so), but our Wyandotte’s all started laying between the 20-24 week mark. Thanks for the link - I will attempt to check that tomorrow!

Can you get a camera in the coop? A VERY rare occurance is a dud, but I have never had one before. She looks ready. Wyandotte's lay brown, so how come you aren't getting brown eggs? Are they in a separate coop?

 

[mccmeadows]

Can you get a camera in the coop? A VERY rare occurance is a dud, but I have never had one before. She looks ready. Wyandotte's lay brown, so how come you aren't getting brown eggs? Are they in a separate coop?

We haven’t been able to figure out the wifi to get a smart camera set up back there. I’m about ready to just camp out in the coop! Our Wyandotte’s are in a different coop so she is the only brown layer in her house.

 

[mccmeadows]

I have a hack for that, that may or may not work. Do you have an iphone? As crazy as it might sound, I have had sucess with recording a video and watching it afterwards. My phone can record for nearly 2 hours, without needing to be charged.

Another thing is is that she may have exactly missed the laying "season". Lots of birds stop or don't start laying the the winter when days are short. This is what my birds and even young pullets did to me last year. Assuming you are in the northern hemisphere.

That’s a good idea! I’ll try to leave my phone the next time she is hanging around the nesting boxes. We are in Ontario, Canada, so yes, the days are miserable and short. We have a few girls who are a couple months younger that I don’t think will lay now until spring, maybe Mary is just trying to stay young like them

 

[mccmeadows]

Def not a wyandotte wrong comb for it

We had one Silver Laced Wyandotte end up with a single comb which was the only reason why I thought she could be what the seller said.

 

[cherrynberry]

Def not a wyandotte wrong comb for it

Not always, no. Depends on the line. Rose combs have a lower fertility rate, so some people breed Wyandotte's to have single combs. Although it isn't the "right" comb to have, Wyandotte's can have single combs. Same goes for Sebrights.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Not always, no. Depends on the line. Rose combs have a lower fertility rate, so some people breed Wyandotte's to have single combs. Although it isn't the "right" comb to have, Wyandotte's can have single combs. Same goes for Sebrights.

Combs have nothing to do with fertility that is a myth i dont know where it started either prolly someone started that to sell their mutts as pure