Different color egg

[newchickgal]

My hen lays brown eggs but the other day the shell was white! The following day it was brown again. She's never laid a white egg before. Is there something going on with her diet or with her? I haven't changed her food or made any other changes. Any one know what that was about? She is 2 years old.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It’s always possible there is something wrong with her but since it is just a one-time thing, I would not worry. The last part of the hen’s egg laying factory is where she puts the brown on the egg just before it’s laid. For some reason that egg probably came out a bit early. As many perfect eggs as they lay, they’re allowed an occasional hick-up.

Some disease can cause that, but since her next one was brown, that’s not the cause. I would not worry at all. I had one of those a couple of days ago.

 

[newchickgal]

ok, thanks. My flag has a habit of going up as soon as anything is different, same goes for my fur kids!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Changes can signal something is wrong. It’s a good idea to check things out when you see something different. Most of the time it’s just part of them being living animals but you never really know.

If it does become regular or especially if other hens start doing this regularly, it is something to become concerned about. But not if it is a pretty rare thing.

A word of warning so you don’t get too concerned when it happens. Over time their egg shells will naturally get lighter. Before they start to lay or when they are molting, a hen stores up pigment to color her egg shells. As they lay, they use that reserve up. It’s really gradual and you may not even notice it happening since they all should be doing it. Then suddenly you notice they are all lighter.

I’ve had hens that lay a nice brown egg when they start to lay after a molt but just before the next molt, their eggs are really light.

 

[chfite]

From my nine hens, I occasionally get a white egg. I figure some variation is normal.

Chris