Egg color change

[sdpulliam]

Just joined the group. My name is Steve. I have 3 RIR hens, 1 Black Star hen, 1 Buzzard hen(was supposed to be a BS) and Fred and Snowball my White Silkie couple courtesy of Sunshine Silkies. Hatch date on the 3-1-1 was Feb 25th 2009. They all started laying one at a time in late July and early August and at times I was getting 5 eggs/day So I am pretty sure that all five of the full size hens were laying. I didnt get the silkies until a few weeks ago. Up until this weekend all of the eggs from the hens(except snowball) were brown.
Sunday morning I let them out around 10am to free range for the day. I checked the boxes and there was 1 egg. It was broken and it was white. When I picked it up I noticed that the shell was really thin also. It really reminded me of the first egg or 2 they laid. Tossed it in the compost pile and forgot about it. Monday I got home from work, let the chickens out and gathered the eggs. The was another whith egg in the box with 3 brown ones. At first i thought Snowball had just laid a really large egg but yesterday there was another one and Snowball had laid her egg in the box next door. This time the egg had just a hint of wanting to be brown. Nothing has changed in their food or water and they all free range in the afternoon from about 5:30 until they go in to roost.
Any ideas on this. This inside of these eggs look normal and the yolks are bright yellow-orange like the rest. You dont get that color from the store.
Thanks for the help.

Steve

 

[Karrie13]

Hmm... I am not sure but hopefully someone will be along to answer your question. I did see on another thread that other people have had chickens eggs change color during the laying season but it seems to be a debate. Some people (with scientific evidence) say it is impossible but others have seen it with their own eyes. One person had the explanation that their (chickens) "Paint Can" ran out. I don't think it is any problem with your girls maybe just something that just happens?

!

 

[cybercat]

Is your so called Buzzard hen an EE? They can lay white eggs.

 

[sdpulliam]

Buzzard Hen is Black with bluish to purple Hackles and her comb has not developed like the others. All of the initials are still new to me so you will have to explain EE. All 5 hens produced eggs today. There was still a lighter colored one but it looks to be going back to normal.
They slowed down just before we had our little cold snap here in North FL and there were days when I would only get 2 and 3 eggs. Over the last week they have been 4 and 5. Snowball stopped laying for 7 days but seems to be back to every or every other day now. Theres another front moving through now. It will be interesting to see if it affects them this time. A coworker who has chickens says His stop laying when the time changes and the days get shorted. I think he puts a light on a timer in the pen and that fools them. He says it works but that just seems wrong.

Steve

 

[PunkinPeep]

EE is short for Easter Egger.

 

[cybercat]

I am betting you have an easter egger. There comb is not a single comb like the RIR and black star nor like a silky. It is called a pea comb which is closer to the head. EEs lay any color egg from white, pink, light blue or green to olive green to various shades of brown. They are a mix and it shows but they are good hens and layers.

 

[Capone]

welcome from rhode island

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

Or, if your 'white' egg had a 'hint of wanting to be brown', could it be one of your RIR's? My RIR sometimes lays really light brown eggs.