Green Eggs vs Blue Eggs for A Premium Egg Business

[DarJones]

Egg size is another consideration. I have one hen that lays 70 to 72 gram eggs while the rest range between 45 grams and 65 grams. That is a big difference in egg size. I'm saving all of the 70 gram eggs to hatch.

 

[nicalandia]

Egg size is another consideration. I have one hen that lays 70 to 72 gram eggs while the rest range between 45 grams and 65 grams. That is a big difference in egg size. I'm saving all of the 70 gram eggs to hatch.

That is true.

 

[3KillerBs]

Egg size is another consideration. I have one hen that lays 70 to 72 gram eggs while the rest range between 45 grams and 65 grams. That is a big difference in egg size. I'm saving all of the 70 gram eggs to hatch.

Good point.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Good point.

Honestly there are tons of great production lines of legbars with very large blue eggs and excellent prolificacy. That is exactly what they were developed for. If i was dialed in on a production line for blue eggs, I'd invest my time in talking with breeders to find that line and skip the cross breeding.

 

[nicalandia]

Honestly there are tons of great production lines of legbars with very large blue eggs and excellent prolificacy. That is exactly what they were developed for. If i was dialed in on a production line for blue eggs, I'd invest my time in talking with breeders to find that line and skip the cross breeding.

I agree, Legbars have all of the genetics to be as highly productive as Leghorns, but Araucanas are not nearly as productive, so Araucana x Leghorn would be in order when those are the only breed available for such a project.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Egg size is another consideration. I have one hen that lays 70 to 72 gram eggs while the rest range between 45 grams and 65 grams. That is a big difference in egg size. I'm saving all of the 70 gram eggs to hatch.

Wow. What kind of hen lays the big eggs?

 

[nicalandia]

To those that have blue egg layers, do your hens change the intensity of the blue during the laying cycle?

In this study they reported that the Chinese Lushi blue egg breeds change blue intensity: 20–25 weeks for dark blue, 26–45 weeks for medium blue, and 46–60 weeks for light blue
https://www.semanticscholar.org/pap...-Ren/6b0ee853a8591ce86e9fd5b13f0e20e22ef23d42

 

[Amer]

To those that have blue egg layers, do your hens change the intensity of the blue during the laying cycle?

In this study they reported that the Chinese Lushi blue egg breeds change blue intensity: 20–25 weeks for dark blue, 26–45 weeks for medium blue, and 46–60 weeks for light blue
https://www.semanticscholar.org/pap...-Ren/6b0ee853a8591ce86e9fd5b13f0e20e22ef23d42

Interesting.
I don’t think it changes but I asked my mom and she said she does think it changes. I have an Ameraucana and used to have multiple Ameraucanas.

 

[DarJones]

Yes, the intensity of blue changes over time. It also changes with the size of eggs produced. When a blue egg laying hen of mine starts to lay, the eggs generally start between 45 and 50 grams. In about 6 months, they increase to between 55 and 65 grams. The intensity of the blue color changes about 2 shades lighter from the pullet egg. I don't know if egg size and color intensity are correlated, meaning that they might be independent results of the same set of physiological changes. I have several pullets due to start laying in the next few weeks. I'll see if I can get a decent picture showing the difference between a young and older hen's eggs.

 

[nicalandia]

Yes, the intensity of blue changes over time. It also changes with the size of eggs produced. When a blue egg laying hen of mine starts to lay, the eggs generally start between 45 and 50 grams. In about 6 months, they increase to between 55 and 65 grams. The intensity of the blue color changes about 2 shades lighter from the pullet egg. I don't know if egg size and color intensity are correlated, meaning that they might be independent results of the same set of physiological changes. I have several pullets due to start laying in the next few weeks. I'll see if I can get a decent picture showing the difference between a young and older hen's eggs.

Are yours Glossy blue or matte blue? Also the Wyandottes lay a light brown color, do you get mint green or Blue like Araucanas?