duck egg color

[gottsegnet]

Trying to figure out the relative likelihood that one of our chickens laid two eggs today and that our ducks started laying.

The last couple days we've had an odd looking egg. A little longer than a normal chicken egg but about the same width. We have a chicken that occasionally lays them larger though (double yolks) so they aren't huge or anything.

But today we got eight eggs, and we only have seven pullets/hens. We have three ducks that should be about the right age. But they're runner ducks and these eggs aren't white. They're a pale brown.

 

[FenDruadin]

Sounds like your ducks are starting to lay.

Duck eggs are a slightly different shape than chicken eggs, and when they first start laying, they're not much bigger than a chicken egg. My runners lay dark green eggs when they first start that gradually pale out to nearly white. My magpies lay white right from the start. I think it depends on the line--not all runners are going to lay identical eggs, so a brownish tint sounds quite plausible.

Congrats.

 

[Senna95]

Runner ducks lay green or creamy-white eggs. I've never heard of brown...

You can tell the difference between duck eggs and chicken eggs by their texture. Duck egg-shells are smoother and almost "waxy", while chicken eggs are more chalky and feel "drier".

 

[katharinad]

It may be a duck egg. It all depends on where they lay. My egg get light brown, if they just drop it onto the floor and it get dirty. I even need a scrub brush to get it clean under warm water.

Gottsegnet. Are you German? I'm just wondering because your screen name mean "bless god" in German.

 

[gottsegnet]

No, not German, but I lived there two years. One as an exchange student in high school and then again as a grad student.

I guess we won't know for sure until we have seen a duck egg for ourselves. Maybe I'll get some pictures of the next one to see.

The eggs were laid in the nest box with the chicken eggs but on clean bedding. Washed them with the rest. Yesterday's was more creamy colored, but I'd still say it had brown tint to it. Today's was tinted brown. They aren't as dark as the other chicken eggs, but Dora (our Black Australorp) has a lighter egg color than the others in the flock. I assumed it was her egg yesterday, but then we got two like that today and too many eggs for our number of chickens!

Thanks everyone!

 

[gottsegnet]

Perhaps I should add that there's some possibility they could be crosses? I wouldn't know what with nor if there are even ducks that lay brown eggs. We got these guys as a sort of last minute decision while getting chickens from someone. They said they were runners, and they look like runners to me, but they aren't as erect as pictures I've seen.

Maybe just because they're not show birds and were never intended as such.

We love them, however, and I think our duck flock will expand noticeably in the spring when we do our poultry order.

 

[katharinad]

Just crack one open. It should be thicker in consistency.