Cream Legbars

[KPenley]

Has anyone found that the Rees eggs get bluer as the birds get older?

I haven't had one long enough to tell. But mine is definitely making blue instead of green. I would guess that they would be the darkest at the start of each laying cycle.

 

[KendyF]

I haven't had one long enough to tell. But mine is definitely making blue instead of green. I would guess that they would be the darkest at the start of each laying cycle.

Quote:
Brown eggs are darker at the beginning of the laying cycle due to the shell being white and the brown is actually added (kind of painted) to the outside of the shell as a last step, in the hen's egg making process.... as the laying cycle goes on the eggs don't get as much color, so the color is not consistent through-out the laying cycle. The color gets renewed if for any reason the hen stops laying including going broody. Crack the brown egg open it is white on the inside.
Blue, like white is an actual shell color, so I don't think color would change based on the season. Nor have I experienced it. I have seen the blue look "washed out" due to the health of a chicken. I don't have any Rees lines, but I am not sure if age would change the color. I recently read that diet can impact the color of the eggs. I "know" my hens eggs, so I know which ones I want to incubate and I haven't noted any major changes in color other than with a sick hen, who started to produce thin, nearly white shells. I will be very interested to hear what others have experienced with shell color changes in blue eggs.

 

[ChicKat]

Also

Has anyone found that the Rees eggs get bluer as the birds get older?

As the others have stated, (and I don't have Rees eggs either)-- as the laying cycle continues - the brown gets used up. So to make the eggs green, the blue shell - gets a light brown paint job, when the paint runs out -- the eggs would turn more of the natural shell color -- in your case - more blue, in a white shelled egg - lighter brown.

It is good that you are seeing that -- I have some green layers (Isbars) - and their shells get lighter and a bit less green during the laying cycle.

 

[KendyF]

Also
As the others have stated, (and I don't have Rees eggs either)-- as the laying cycle continues - the brown gets used up. So to make the eggs green, the blue shell - gets a light brown paint job, when the paint runs out -- the eggs would turn more of the natural shell color -- in your case - more blue, in a white shelled egg - lighter brown.

It is good that you are seeing that -- I have some green layers (Isbars) - and their shells get lighter and a bit less green during the laying cycle.

That is pretty interesting, one test would be to check if the inside of the egg matches the outside. If it is green, it is likely there is also "paint" or added color on the shell. In Olive Eggers - Eggs, the birds have the gene for both the blue shell and multiple genes for the brown shells, so those shells are actually blue on the inside and look Olive due to the "paint".

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

Thanks everyone for your opinions on my Legbars. I now wish I have kept some of my original stock to breed with as the male was very nice IMHO. PLus the hens layed awesome blue eggs. But 2 of the hens didn't have poofs though, & I don't have 5 acres anymore, so I had to downsize. Hopefully some of these guys will turn out nice. I just got them as day olds in Jan so they're not that old. Someone said something about certain lines & money. Well, as much as I paid for these as day olds, I would def want to sell them for more than $30 each. Thanks again everyone.

 

[chicken pickin]

My Broody only ended up hatching 2 cute little male CL chicks. Unfortunately it looks as though she squashed one

So she has one cute little male CL chick to tend to. I was really hoping for a pullet or 2 from that pairing of CL eggs *sigh* But I guess one is better than none.

 

[Scatterknit]

Speaking of Egg Color, I took this picture of my broody hen and she had a nice blue egg showing under her, the lighting was right and the blue egg almost glows....



I am happy with my egg colors they are definitely a true blue. My EE hen lays a blue egg with a slight green tint. The chicks in the picture are mutts, as I just let my broodies sit on whatever. I incubate most of my blue eggs.

Oh wow that is GORGEOUS! Are all your eggs that pretty blue?

 

[Scatterknit]

My Broody only ended up hatching 2 cute little male CL chicks. Unfortunately it looks as though she squashed one

So she has one cute little male CL chick to tend to. I was really hoping for a pullet or 2 from that pairing of CL eggs *sigh* But I guess one is better than none.

Poor little guy!

 

[Phage]

Also

 
Has anyone found that the Rees eggs get bluer as the birds get older?

As the others have stated, (and I don't have Rees eggs either)-- as the laying cycle continues - the brown gets used up.  So to make the eggs green, the blue shell - gets a light brown paint job, when the paint runs out -- the eggs would turn more of the natural shell color -- in your case - more blue, in a white shelled egg - lighter brown. 

It is good that you are seeing that --   I have some green layers (Isbars) - and their shells get lighter and a bit less green during the laying cycle. 

As the blue color in the shell is derived from bile it would seem reasonable that it could be changed with diet.

 

[ChicKat]

As the blue color in the shell is derived from bile it would seem reasonable that it could be changed with diet.

Yep, we talked about this some time back. Researchers have found carotenoids have an influence.

Here's a link to an article the is also linked from Cream Legbar Club's Clubhouse - and it talks about some research on the prospect. Funny thing is my flock likes some sources of beta carotene and dosen't like others... and I won't be injecting them like the study did. LOL


http://avelando.webs.uvigo.es/pdfs_archivos/moralesetal2011BESa.pdf