Do eggs change color?

[Featherfriendly]

I added Wellsummer chicks to my flock of Auracunas, Buff Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks to complete the "bouquet" of eggs. The Wellsummer eggs have been a bit of a disappointment, getting a bit darker as the weeks go by, but definately not the deep red/terra cotta I had seen advertised. The funny thing is-the blue/green eggs have lost their color, and are now a pale, cream color. I wonder why this happened. I've had chickens for nine years and haven't seen this before. Any ideas out there?

 

[PeeperKeeper]

I could "swear" that my EE lays brighter blue eggs on sunny days!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I copied this from the link below. The Wellsummer's may have introduced Infectious Bronchitis to your flock. You notice they also say stress can cause it. Many things can cause stress in chickens: heat, cold, active preditor threat, introducing new chickens, running out of water. I'm hoping it is stress.

If one disease had to be singled out as being responsible for the majority of the economically significant production losses in egg layers, it would be infectious bronchitis. Not only is egg shell quality affected, but internal egg quality also declines. Watery whites are very common and can persist for long periods after egg production returns. Also, an infectious bronchitis outbreak can result in a pale-colored shell in brown eggs. However, other factors, such as stress, are also responsible for causing a pale-colored shell.
Another disease which may affect shell quality is Egg Drop Syndrome 76 (EDS 76). EDS 76 was first identified in Britain in 1976. A vaccine was quickly developed and the disease seemed to disappear. However, it has recently reappeared in the Netherlands. The disease is mainly characterized by a drop in egg production early in lay, or by a sudden fall in production at a later stage in the laying period. In the beginning the symptoms include shell-less eggs and thin-shelled eggs, deformed eggs, and, in the case of brown eggs, a loss of shell color. In addition, the whites of these eggs are very watery, and there is considerable variation in egg weight.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps020

Editted to add: Welcome to this forum. Glad you are here.

 

[mandelyn]

It's also normal to lose some color later in the year, after several months of laying. The color returns after the winter break or molting.

If the color was never that strong to start with though, you'll want to find a breeder who's line carries the color you're looking for. Things can be lost or brought out with careful breeding, hatchery style breeding gets things lost... such as egg color for the sake of egg production.

Anytime you choose a breed for what it is advertised for, you then have to find the breeders who keep those traits intact.

But definately check out the medical side of things first, and welcome to BYC!

 

[Featherfriendly]

Is there a medication for the infectious bronchitis, if that's the case? I do have some thin-shelled eggs, but thought that was just part of having older chickens. Good article, I appreciate the link.