Egg shell dark on the surface?

[Tivona]

For the last two days I have been getting 4 eggs instead of the normal 3 I had been getting. The new egg is either from a Golden 300 hybrid that is just finishing her molt (she laid cream colored eggs before she started molting) or possibly from a Black Swedish I was given. I thought the Swedish was a boy (I had been told it was a he) and he/she has had the barest tip up on the tail feather but its not really truly curled. I was given the Black Swedish with a Buff that just started to lay about 2 weeks ago and they are supposed to be the same age. My guess is that if he was a male then "he" should have his drake feather curled enough now to really see. Whats the chance that the egg is from the Swedish? Do Black Swedish eggs look like this? Any thing else that could cause the surface to be so dark?

The new egg is very different then any of my other duck eggs. It is even darker then the picture shows but the its the one on the bottom right. Its a dark grey almost black very thin layer over a white egg shell. You can see the white peeking out in a few spots. It washes up white with a little bit of scrubbing. And it is much smaller then the other eggs I get but that could be because the duck just started laying.

 

[Oregon Blues]

That looks like a Cayuga egg.

Voice sexing is much more reliable on ducks. They can have the curl pulled out, and some don't have a curl while they are in eclipse plumage. If the duck occasionally blasts out a loud quack, she's a girl. If the duck sounds like a rachet, he's a boy.

 

[Amiga]

I noticed when my ducks started laying, or start laying again after a rest, there's an extra thick shiny coating on the egg.

 

[JulieNKC]

The first egg my khaki laid was a very dark green. Everyone since that one has been pretty much white. I think it's just a duck thing for their first egg to look weird.
First egg- one on top left

Every egg since- egg on left

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Looks like a Cayuga egg. Or possibly a Runner. I have gotten dark eggs from my Runners before, though not as dark as that one. That one is more like my Cayuga.

 

[Tivona]

I have noticed that the Black Swedish does have more of a girls sharper quack but thought "he" would develop more of a raspy voice in time. More I think about it, if it was a male then "he" should have his raspy voice and more tail curl by now. Maybe its a girl after all.

I only had the Golden 300 hybrids before this one was given to me. I am not even sure on the age of the Swed except that the Buff I got at the same time just started to lay so I'm guessing they should be 6 months old.

The Swedish could be part Cayuga. Its just finished up a molt and is a very pretty black duck with lots of iridescent green/blue/purple and a white bib and a few white flight feathers. Lots of shine and color reflecting. Nice to know that the egg color could be from the Swed and that she? might be part Cayuga. I do know that there are people with them in my area, but with no idea on if the 2 ducks came from a hatchery or a local person so I really can't be sure on if its part Cayuga or pure bred Black Swedish.

I do have another drake and he'll be happy if the Swed is a girl. That would make 10 girls to the one drake once my babies are grown. I have 5 babies about 7 weeks old and all girls. I really love color sexing, so much easier.

 

[70%cocoa]

A Swedish can lay an egg that colour. Even darker too - like almost black. It may indicate some crossing in the bird's ancestry though. The colour is put on the egg immediately before laying. Over time the eggs will lose that grey look as the duck runs out of pigment.

A black Swedish should have a green sheen but usually they are not as green as a Cayuga.

 

[Tivona]

70%cocoa :

A Swedish can lay an egg that colour. Even darker too - like almost black. It may indicate some crossing in the bird's ancestry though. The colour is put on the egg immediately before laying. Over time the eggs will lose that grey look as the duck runs out of pigment.

A black Swedish should have a green sheen but usually they are not as green as a Cayuga.

Thanks for that info. The egg must be from my Swed then. I guess I'll have to rename Daffy...​

 

[GrannyCarol]

My black and white Ancona lays a fairly dark egg in the spring, not that dark, but it does have the overlay. I suspect its not unusual for black or black and white ducks to lay darker eggs. As mentioned Cayugas normally do lay dark eggs.