I keep thinking I know what's going on, then something else makes me scratch my head (and no, it's not the chickens' lice). I'm looking at three eggs laid today. 3 hens, all the same age - born May 2008. Red cap lays small cream-colored eggs, sort of pointy at one end. Crevecoeur lays medium-sized very white eggs, very rounded on both ends. Cochin lays larger light-brown eggs, fat egg-shaped. This has never varied since they started laying.
But for several days, all three are now laying the almost same color eggs. Still different shapes and sizes, but definitely all almost the same color - cream.
Recent changes:
Addition of 5 new pullets about 6 weeks ago, which upset laying for awhile, but the color didn't change at that time.
The crevecoeur moved from the house back into the coop when the new birds were added. She's now eating everything the others are, including the dirt/grit she wasn't getting much of indoors, just when I let her free-range.
All birds now seem to be eating the pullet crumble with oyster shells on the side, even though their layer pellets are still there for them. They all used to eat only layer pellets and rarely ate additional oyster shells/crushed eggshells (but their own shells were still nice and strong).
They're eating a more varied diet of kitchen scraps than the rest of the year, including much more yogurt, which I recently discovered they love - but this didn't happen last summer!
We WERE away for a week, and just returned home a few days ago. In our absence, a friend was looking after them, checking feed levels and changing water. I don't think she tossed them much in the way of kitchen scraps, though - just some BOSS and bread. I saw some carrots in the run (whole!?!), but don't think they got many fruits and veggies. Maybe they missed their greens?
It's been a brutally hot summer here, but the heat has mostly broken. And they always have plenty of fresh, clean water.
What's the culprit? And should I be concerned?
But for several days, all three are now laying the almost same color eggs. Still different shapes and sizes, but definitely all almost the same color - cream.
Recent changes:
Addition of 5 new pullets about 6 weeks ago, which upset laying for awhile, but the color didn't change at that time.
The crevecoeur moved from the house back into the coop when the new birds were added. She's now eating everything the others are, including the dirt/grit she wasn't getting much of indoors, just when I let her free-range.
All birds now seem to be eating the pullet crumble with oyster shells on the side, even though their layer pellets are still there for them. They all used to eat only layer pellets and rarely ate additional oyster shells/crushed eggshells (but their own shells were still nice and strong).
They're eating a more varied diet of kitchen scraps than the rest of the year, including much more yogurt, which I recently discovered they love - but this didn't happen last summer!
We WERE away for a week, and just returned home a few days ago. In our absence, a friend was looking after them, checking feed levels and changing water. I don't think she tossed them much in the way of kitchen scraps, though - just some BOSS and bread. I saw some carrots in the run (whole!?!), but don't think they got many fruits and veggies. Maybe they missed their greens?
It's been a brutally hot summer here, but the heat has mostly broken. And they always have plenty of fresh, clean water.
What's the culprit? And should I be concerned?
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