Egg colors changing?

[Lpskitfit]

Huh. I stand corrected then on that. Thanks for the info

White....if there's a total absence of coating.
It's not common, but not unprecedented either.

Yeah, I had a chicken lay a white egg and then started laying brown eggs, and only her first egg was white

 

[K0k0shka]

I get the purple spots occasionally, too. Very pretty, and can vary between pale purple and dark purple. I get them from one Orpington and one Barnevelder and nobody else in the flock. Seems to be random, as they always eat the same thing but produce purple spots only occasionally. All chickens are healthy. Enjoy your pretty eggs!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like an actual store white or a cream? I know creams are considered brown by some people but I thought a brown egg could never be followed by a pure white egg

The way the egg shell is put together in the shell gland the basic shell goes first, either white or blue. The last half hour or so in the shell gland the hen puts a brown coating on top of that basic shell. If, for some reason, that egg is laid before all the brown pigment is applied the egg then the egg can be lighter than normal, whether brown or green. If it is laid really early it can pretty much look white or blue. The basic color is always there but shade can vary from day to day.

Something else that can happen. When a pullet starts laying or a hen starts laying after a molt her eggs are typically as dark as they will get. For many of them the longer into the egg laying cycle the lighter the eggs often get. I've had some hens that normally lay a light brown lay an almost white egg just before they start to molt.

That said, we've gotten six (!!!) different egg colors since they started laying!!

Welcome to the amazing world of chickens and their eggs. It can be an education. Typically once they settle down you don't see a lot of regular variation. Some of us can tell which hen laid which egg just by looking at it. Many lay the same size, color, and shape of egg practically every day. You can still get a surprise though.

The egg making process is pretty complicated, there are a lot of parts. Some pullets get all that right to start with but occasionally you can get real excitement with some pullets. It takes them a while to work all the bugs out of that internal egg making factory. I don't know how long yours have been laying, they might settle down soon. In some ways that would be a shame, a lot less excitement.

 

[ChicKittyHouse]

I have 2 Barnvelders that I get purple spotted eggs from. They are really pretty! Unfortunately it's not consistent. One is on eggs now and I am anxious to see if the offspring carry the trait. Daddy is a Welsummer so I'm hoping for a lot of pullets and interesting egg colors.

 

[Lpskitfit]

They started laying about a month ago now. I'll miss seeing different egg colors, but mine have mostly settled in already it seems!

The way the egg shell is put together in the shell gland the basic shell goes first, either white or blue. The last half hour or so in the shell gland the hen puts a brown coating on top of that basic shell. If, for some reason, that egg is laid before all the brown pigment is applied the egg then the egg can be lighter than normal, whether brown or green. If it is laid really early it can pretty much look white or blue. The basic color is always there but shade can vary from day to day.

Something else that can happen. When a pullet starts laying or a hen starts laying after a molt her eggs are typically as dark as they will get. For many of them the longer into the egg laying cycle the lighter the eggs often get. I've had some hens that normally lay a light brown lay an almost white egg just before they start to molt.


Welcome to the amazing world of chickens and their eggs. It can be an education. Typically once they settle down you don't see a lot of regular variation. Some of us can tell which hen laid which egg just by looking at it. Many lay the same size, color, and shape of egg practically every day. You can still get a surprise though.

The egg making process is pretty complicated, there are a lot of parts. Some pullets get all that right to start with but occasionally you can get real excitement with some pullets. It takes them a while to work all the bugs out of that internal egg making factory. I don't know how long yours have been laying, they might settle down soon. In some ways that would be a shame, a lot less excitement.
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[Lpskitfit]

I have 2 Barnvelders that I get purple spotted eggs from. They are really pretty! Unfortunately it's not consistent. One is on eggs now and I am anxious to see if the offspring carry the trait. Daddy is a Welsummer so I'm hoping for a lot of pullets and interesting egg colors.

That would be really cool, and would make for a colorful basket!