Egg color challenged

[ellenmg]

Hi All,
I currently have A Swedish Flower Hen rooster and two SFH hens, also a Salmon Faverolles, and several other that lay very similar colored eggs. Short of sitting in the coop all day to monitor nestboxes and ladies who find it amusing to get in one box, sit a spell then move to another, I am having trouble distinguishing the Swedish Flower hens eggs from the others... Any pointers?? I am not in a position to build more coops right now... Any help is gratefully appreciated...
Ellen

 

[sourland]

I have heard that introducing a small amount of food coloring into the vent of a hen will cause her to 'mark' her eggs.

Never tried it myself - separate pens always worked for me.

 

[ellenmg]

Now THAT is a clever idea.... I may have to try it. Thanks for a great idea!

 

[Ashdoes]

Yes, the food coloring works great. We do it often, when we want a specific girls eggs. The color does best when it coats the feathers around the vent, not just in the vent. Our one girls eggs were marked for just over a week the last time we did it.

 

[ellenmg]

Did you just rub food coloring around her vent? I love this idea

 

[Ashdoes]

Drip it, in and around the vent. Super quick, and best done at night.

 

[ellenmg]

THANK YOU!!!! You are my new best friend! I'll let you all know how this goes....