Hen suddenly changes to laying a dark egg

[LaFleche]

No I haven't had any of those brown egg laying breeds ...

One of your new birds might accidentally be one.

 

[Ebarnes-21]

The new birds are all hatched here from my own eggs - so there should be no surprises, genetically. Only Sussex and Hyline brown can be mixed in there.
The 4th young one that I haven't seen the egg from individually is a light Sussex. I will continue to watch both of them and see what happens!

 

[Ebarnes-21]

The eggs are very impressive. Makes me want more chocolate dark egg layers!! I shouldn't be getting even more chickens though, Lol.

 

[ChickNanny13]

What breed is the 4yr hen? Is the shape of the egg her usual shape?
This is very interesting, the color difference is alot. Thank you for the picture, that is a nice color.

 

[Ebarnes-21]

The 4yo hen is a 2nd-generation Hyline hybrid descendant ... so mother hen was a commercial Hyline brown hybrid, rooster was a Hyline rooster grabbed at hatch. The shape is her usual egg shape ... but that is the most average medium oval shape half the hens lay similar.

The first one was small, I assumed it was a young hen ... but they were relatively large by the third egg, could just be a mature bird coming back on lay.
Who ever it is doesn't lay every day, only about 3 per week seems low for a young hen. Unless she sometimes lays ordinary looking eggs! Which would make it hard to find her.

I've had all sorts of interesting things from those hylines, like pullets with green legs, some with a few tiny feathers on their feet, but only the normal type of brown eggs until now.

 

[aart]

The sexlink birds we gt here can lay pretty dark eggs.

Who ever it is doesn't lay every day

I thought you knew which one it was?

 

[Ebarnes-21]

Yes I think I know who it is - she's come out of the same nest as the dark egg a few times, and even it was still damp once. Still holding out the "we were wrong" scenario in case. Surely, objectively, a young bird is more likely. I'm still watching nests for further proof but look what they're up to ...

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This is fascinating and I am intrigued! Following along.

 

[Crazyabouthens]

Yes I think I know who it is - she's come out of the same nest as the dark egg a few times, and even it was still damp once. Still holding out the "we were wrong" scenario in case. Surely, objectively, a young bird is more likely. I'm still watching nests for further proof but look what they're up to ...

View attachment 3595635

What breed is the orange hen on the bottom?

 

[Perris]

have any of your birds got a red earlobe? The general rule is white ear white egg, red ear brown egg (though Penedesencas break it by having white earlobes [in a red ring] despite laying dark brown eggs). I know you said and showed most of them lay light brown eggs, but both the birds shown seem to have light earlobes. Does anybody have earlobes that are noticeably darker?