Hen's paint shop broken!!

[dmiravalle]

Our hen's (variety of breeds) are having problems with their paint shop. They are normally brown egg layers, nice brown color. Then they started laying eggs that looked liked someone spray painted them with brown, now they are laying almost white eggs. Any suggestions? What could they be missing, they get lay crumbles mixed with a flockraiser, free grit/crushed shells, bugs, scraps, fresh grasses, and scratch everyday. Any suggestions? Some hens are still laying brown eggs, but 3 have converted to white. Shell's are nice and no issues with fertility or any other observation.

 

[BooBear]

bump

(got no clue but sounds interesting. Are they older hens?)

 

[FireTigeris]

No clue, good luck with that,

age
breeds
how long have they been laying
last time broody or molting or winter break.

 

[MSDeb]

Quote:
FT, I see you have killed another perfectly good thread.

 

[Qi Chicken]

We had paint shop malfunctions here too. Just before they started molting.

We have a welsummer that lays beautiful very dark brown speckled eggs. Before molting. (You should see her now, it is beyond pathetic, no tail, no neck feathers, it is truly awful) But then we started to get eggs that were 1/3 dark, 1/3 medium and 1/3 light. We got 2-3 of those, then some light ones with speckles. Then NONE. She hasn't laid again since beginning this molt. Our egg production has gone to nothing, but none of the other girls look like she does. They are missing a few feathers here and there but nowhere NEAR as naked as she.

I guess watch them all and see if they start to molt. You will notice that your egg production drops dramatically if they are molting. It isn't always that obvious. Otherwise I have no idea!

Ours will be one year old on April 5. Assorted breeds if that helps any.

 

[dmiravalle]

Ok, the hens are all young, first season laying, they have already molted, one is a BLRW and the other 2 are Australorp/Cochin mixes.

 

[dragonlair]

I'm watching because I have a couple of Comets who are having th same problem, faded tannish eggs.

 

[sourland]

Frequently egg color diminishes the longer that the hens have been laying. Then they stop laying, molt, and the darker color returns.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
FT, I see you have killed another perfectly good thread.

Did not.

I wonder if its the weather, what's the weather like there? here is murky and miserable and I am having a similar problem... (just now)

 

[MSDeb]

Quote:
FT, I see you have killed another perfectly good thread.

Did not.

I wonder if its the weather, what's the weather like there? here is murky and miserable and I am having a similar problem... (just now)

If you notice, it picked up after I posted! I revived it.

On topic I have no clue on the egg paint, my Marins sometimes lay eggs that look like they were spray painted with a straw.