egg colors get lighter

[catterbug]

Do eggs get lighter as the chicken gets older? I was thinking of getting a dark egg layer like a welsummer but I heard that as the chicken ages the egg color lightens. I always thought that whatever color the hen lays, she will always lay that color. Thoughts?

 

[Higins00]

Yes, it's true. The darkest eggs are the first ones the chicken lays. They get lighter the older the chicken.

 

[dandelionheart]

I've heard the eggs are darkest after a molt and then lighten up... but this is the first I've heard that the eggs lighten up as the hens get older.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The further into the lay cycle the lighter the shell color becomes. After a good molt it often goes back to the original color again. Sometimes not quite all the way back but it often does.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A.T. Hagan :

The further into the lay cycle the lighter the shell color becomes. After a good molt it often goes back to the original color again. Sometimes not quite all the way back but it often does.

Same experience.​

 

[Ohhhdear]

Interesting! If that's so, then is it possible to roughly determine that a hen laying considerably lighter eggs than she did at first (cream coloured rather than dark honey) would be about ready to stop laying and begin her moult cycle?
And that her flock-mates who are still laying darker brown eggs are not quite as far along (even though they're the same age)?

I have 12 ISA Brown hens who have been laying very well since the end of July and it's now February. I get 10-12 eggs every morning, but a couple of them are creamy rather than the much darker mottled brown the rest lay.
Nobody's shedding any feathers though. Hopefully they'll wait until winter breaks a bit before losing their insulation!