HELP!

[codyandfelica]

We have 2 Australop hens who are about a year and couple months old, they've been laying for close to a year now.. and just here in the last couple weeks we've noticed that their eggs are not brown anymore(one is laying a white egg and the other is laying a green egg) and they aren't a roughish texture like most egg shells are-- they are really smooooth. And their egg whites are really thick and clear and the yolks are a grayish green color. Normally the whites were somewhat runnier and the yolks were bright yellow(just like a typical egg should be).
I'm not quite sure why all of a sudden they've changed but I guess I'm just curious as to why.. I know they are the australop eggs because we are still getting an egg a day from the other 3 hens we have laying.

Appreciate the help and insight!

ttfn(ta ta for now)
codyandfelica

 

[donrae]

I don't think it's possible for a bird to change from brown to green. The color they lay is genetic and can't just change like that. Sounds like someone else is laying? Who else do you have in your flock? Pictures?

As to the white egg, my thought is the same. But, eggs can lighten quite a bit as the hen nears molt. It would not be a true white egg but a cream colored egg. Again, pics of your flock would help.

 

[lazy gardener]

If the egg passed through her system real fast, it could actually be white. The way chicken egg color genetics was explained to me was this: A chicken egg is either white or blue. There is an other shade that can be added to it, which is a tint of brown. Imagine putting white or light blue paint on a piece of paper. That's your basic color choice. Then put a dilute shade of brown over each color. You end up with a brownish egg, and a greenish egg. The more brown shade applied, the darker the egg. White only = leg horn and similar breeds. Blue only and shades of green = EE, Araucana, Ameraucana, and other breeds. Brown = sex linked, RIR, barred rock, etc. I don't know about the green egg. I'm guessing that she has some blue egg ancestry, and as the brown is washing out towards the end of her laying cycle, you may be seeing a bit of that blue showing through, presenting as green. As for the yolk, certain mineral changes in feed or certain plants will cause an off color in the yolk. I find the whole process very interesting. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, you get a new curve coming your way to ponder over. I have a EE pullet which started out laying an olive colored egg. After a month or so, her eggs became more blue. One of them lays a very blue egg, not a hint of brown coloring. The third EE continues to lay an olive colored egg. One of my brown egg layers, recently produced an egg with brown freckles all over it. Usually her eggs are very uniform in color. One of my brown egg layers occasionally produces a brown egg with a pink blush. So, egg color with an individual hen can change somewhat. Or as donrae says, perhaps someone else is visiting the nest box!