foods [mealworms] affecting egg shell color?

[kari_dawn]

So, I noticed when I give my girls lots of mealworms for treats, their egg shells are darker in color. My easter egger who laid sky blue eggs would lay eggs with a darker greenish hue after consuming a lot of mealworm treats. My Buff Orpington would lay darker, more speckled eggs, and my other layers would also lay darker eggs. What causes it? Is it just extra protien?

 

[Nonny]

That's really interesting!

One of my Back Australorps had been laying darker than usual speckled eggs for a week and I assumed it was due to the change from "most of the day" free-ranging, to "an hour or two" free-ranging that caused the darker colour, but during that time I was also giving mealworms as extra treats for them (out of pity! LOL), so maybe you're onto something?

 

[kari_dawn]

I wonder what the difference is? My girls free range regularly, so I assume they are getting lots of crickets and grubs

 

[Illia]

Pretty sure the diet isn't effecting them, honestly. The only diet I've heard of that affects egg color is high copper foods like Quinoa on blue eggs, but other than that, change in egg color is likely just either A) a pullet adjusting to her true color or B) a different girl is laying the eggs.

 

[McKenley5]

Your post made me laugh...not necessarily b/c of your question but something it reminded me of...

When I first got my chicks a few months ago, I had someone tell me that if I wanted colored eggs I should feed my chickens fruit loops...I was like, "really??" (but I had my doubts). I think that the lady that told me this may be the "Fruit Loop"...Ha ha ha

 

[kari_dawn]

haha note to self-do not try that!

Well, the only reason I kindof brought it up is because I only have five birds. Each of them lays a different color egg. I only have one easter egger (3 years old, has been laying for two years), so I know with certainty which egg is hers

One buff orpington (2 years), a sultan (1 year), an australorop (2 years), and a welsummer (2 years). So far, it seems to happen pretty consistantly when they get a lot of mealworms, and a few days later, they go back to their "normal" color. I suppose it could just be coincidental.

 

[Kassaundra]

I sure hope

there is something to your observations (though I do not doubt Illia's knowledge on any chicken subject

) b/c I am currently growing my own mealies for my girls. I have not fed them any yet b/c I started a couple of months ago w/ only a couple hundred mealies so I need to let the colony get big enough to not crash it when I start feeding.

How much mealies does it take to see the change?

 

[cjwaldon]

Just one more reason for me to get a mealworm colony started!

 

[gallusdomesticus]

I am a sceptic as to the role of food in egg shell color. The yolk can certainly be darkened by allowing the bird to eat greens but the mechanics of egg shell formation would seem to prevent that. According to this article:

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/84/8434egg.html


in Science and Technology magazine," Brown eggshells contain the pigment protoporphyrin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin. Found only on the shell's surface, the brown pigment can be dissolved by vinegar or rubbed off with sandpaper. Blue and green hues are caused by the pigment oocyanin, a by-product of bile formation. White eggshells are devoid of these pigments."

The relative shade of the colored egg seems to depend more upon how fast it passed through the pigment imprinting process in the oviduct or vagina than the food the bird has eaten.

 

[Katydid2011]

My chickens snacked on blackberries throughout the summer and their eggs started to develop lovely pink spots on the shell. Now that blackberry season is over, the pink spots are gone.