Fading egg colors....Someone help!

[wolftracks]

I have some FBCMs that have usually laid as dark as an 8, usually around a 6.

I also have an Olive Egger who lays a dark olive eggs and my EEs lay only pink.

For the past few days I've been getting a smallish egg that is pretty light from a FBCM. Thought maybe it was a pullet just starting in, soooooo...ok maybe they will get darker.

Except for the one that these darn hens smashed in the box (always have 2 or 3 at a time in them and the others are completely empty) I brought in 3 FBCM eggs and they look like they came from my printer. NO INK! They are a medium brown. Nothing like what they usually lay. I got 3 so far today.

The olive egg looks more grey and I'm wondering if the egg that looks like it could be from my pink girls is even from them. They are more cream color.

Nothing had changed as far as food or just anything. Everything is as normal.

They have been dusted for whatever, that was in March. I also wormed them about that time. Nothing looks different except the color of my eggs. I have dark ones in the bator, but all the fresh ones are so light.

Does anyone know what's going on? What do I need to do??

No eggs were even laid here during the winter months, after a heavy moult. IDK!

Where did the pigment go??????????????????

 

[scooter147]

It seems rather quick to see such fading so quickly but egg shell color does fade as the hen gets older. Other than that, I'm not much help.

 

[gritsar]

I've noticed a cycle. The eggshell color will slowly fade, then the hen will go into a molt. When she comes out of the molt, the eggs will be nice and dark again. That's what I've noticed over a three year period anyhow.

 

[wolftracks]

Nope it's none of that.

Some hens are older, but I have eggs from a few days ago that are 6's. This shouldn't happen this fast. They went through a very heavy moult that started in Aug/Sept and lasted forever. They just started back up in february and march. No way should they be this color.

My EE and OE just turned a year old last month and some of my FBCMs did also.

This isn't making since. This eggs are way way to light. I've seen cuckoo eggs much darker.

These birds also free range. They eat all day long. No pesticides are used out there. Matter of fact the only ones I have used in over a year were on the birds and that was just Sevin.

I need to send eggs for a swap and I'm embarrassed to do it. I wouldn't hatch anything like these usually, but I know how dark they were laying just 3 days ago.

Plus a deep olive egg turning grey????

Somethings up.