Egg Color Blue & Olive - Health Concern?

[Sparky92]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to raising chickens and recently got 4: Crested Cream Legbar, Americauna, Black Copper Maran, and a Barred Rock. So far, only our Americauna has been laying, very consistently, 6 a week. She lays a pale blue egg. The other day we found an olive egg. Today we found, what looks to be a lighter olive egg (almost like a combo of the original olive and the pale blue.) We still haven't had two in a day, so it seems it may both be the Americauna. Is it possible our Americauna is laying different colored eggs? If so, is this a health concern?

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

 

[sourland]

Are you absolutely positive that it is the 'Ameraucana' that is laying ? My guess is that the legbar is laying the blue egg and that the 'Ameraucana' really an olive egger is laying the olive egg. Bottom line is that I doubt that you have a health issue. Two of your hens are laying.

 

[Sparky92]

Thanks! We've witnessed the Americauna pop out the blue one before, but I did see the Cream Legbar could lay green, although rare. I was thinking it might be her!

 

[aart]

Where did you get these birds?
I assume you got them as older point of lay birds?
Post some pics of them as we might be able to sort it out.

 

[Sparky92]

Yes, just got them about a month ago from a woman who has a chicken farm.

This first picture is what we think is an Americauna. The second is the Cream Legbar, Copper Maran behind it, and the third is the Barred Rock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's probably not a true Ameraucana which would lay a blue egg. It's probably an EE, which can lay blue, green, white, brown, or pink eggs.

The last I heard (it's been a while) the Cream Legbar had not yet been approved by the APA. At least one consortium trying to get it approved was trying to get either blue or green eggs OK'ed. So while it probably lays blue it could lay green.

Your Marans and Rock should lay brown eggs. When they all crank up I think yo will have a very pretty egg basket. My guess is that your "Ameraucana" EE is laying the olive egg and the legbar the blue but that could be backward.

Is it possible our Americauna is laying different colored eggs? If so, is this a health concern?

The hen does not change the basic color of the egg she lays. That's controlled by genetics. It is either blue or white based. If you break the egg open and remove that inside membrane you can see the basic color. The green or brown is just brown laid on top of that base color. That shade of "brown" can change over the laying season, it usually gets lighter the longer she lays. I've had some green egg layers lay an almost blue egg just before they molted and started the laying cycle over. Don't be surprised if yo see that.

The egg shell is made over several hours in the shell gland. After the shell is made, a hen that puts brown on it then puts the brown on it. It's not spray-painted on but sort of think of it as spray painting a car in the assembly line. One of the last things that happens.

Usually the shade doesn't change that much on a daily basis but you can sometimes get some dramatic changes. There are different reasons for that, usually not a problem, especially if it is not often. The egg laying process is pretty complicated, lots of different parts. I think all of us are allowed an occasional glitch or hiccup. I think what you are seeing is that your olive egg layer did not wait that full half hour to finish the paint job before she laid it so it's a little lighter than normal.

 

[Sparky92]

Thank you! That was very informative. Still trying to learn all this. As long as the girls are healthy, I am happy!

 

[TexasMommax3]

I know this is an old post but I was wondering if you ever found out who was laying the olive egg. From the pictures I can tell that the cream legbar is actually an olive egger due to the fact that it has red earlobes and not white, making it a possible cross between a legbar and a welsummer.