how do eggs get colored different

[BigBlueHen53]

I think @aart can give us a little more insight into where all this coloration takes place inside the hen, if she will.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

woah! i didnt even know there were green eggs. i knew about blue ones but green!

I have Easter Eggers. They are kind of a "mutt" breed. They have some of the gene for blue eggs, but they also have the gene for the brown egg. So I don't get the pretty crystal blue egg of the Ameraucana (note spelling!), but I do get pretty blueish-greenish eggs. Purebred Ameraucanas are kind of rare and expensive. EEs are plentiful and cheap. EEs are sold under names like Americana, Ameracana, etc., so buyer beware. I love my EEs. But if a raccoon should get one, I'd feel a lot worse if I'd paid $25 for it than if I'd paid $3.50.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

i was just wondering about how hens make their eggs different colors
im curious how that works i would love to become either a vet or zoologist

Biology is a fascinating field! Follow your dream and work hard, you'll get there. I love watching programs like The Zoo and The Secret Life of the Zoo and pretty much anything narrated by David Attenborough! This is a really good question!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

it isnt anything genetic?
like certain breeds lay certain colors?

And, yes. Each hen, based on her DNA, will lay a certain color egg all her life. A hen that lays white eggs will always snd only lay white eggs. A hen tthat lays brown eggs will only lay brown eggs. BUT! She may lay a very dark egg at the beginning of her laying cycle, and the more eggs she lays, the lighter they may become. It's almost as if she "runs out of paint" toward the end of the laying season. It may not be very noticeable but a person very familiar with their hens' eggs may be aware of it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Going to bed now...

 

[JacinLarkwell]

And, yes. Each hen, based on her DNA, will lay a certain color egg all her life. A hen that lays white eggs will always snd only lay white eggs. A hen tthat lays brown eggs will only lay brown eggs. BUT! She may lay a very dark egg at the beginning of her laying cycle, and the more eggs she lays, the lighter they may become. It's almost as if she "runs out of paint" toward the end of the laying season. It may not be very noticeable but a person very familiar with their hens' eggs may be aware of it.

Same with blue. The darkest eggs are always the first to pop out

 

[aart]

I don't know all the genetics, other than there are 12 genes that determine the brown aspect and 2 genes that determine the blue aspect.


The very basics of egg color:
There are only white and blue shells.
Brown eggs have brown coating on white shells.
Green eggs have brown coating on blue shells.
The brown coating can be very light or very dark, and can vary day to day.
Then the bloom can add another aspect to the egg color.
Pink/purplish eggs are usually from the bloom on a brown egg.

 

[DarJones]

I posted about egg color genetics here. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/understanding-egg-color-genetics.1445199/

 

[HappyClucker7]

i was just wondering about how hens make their eggs different colors
im curious how that works i would love to become either a vet or zoologist

I just wanted to add that the blue color originally came from a virus. (I think the original birds were in Chile.) The virus is called EAV-HP, and it's something called a retrovirus. A retrovirus has RNA which it uses to create DNA. That DNA is then integrated into the host's DNA. The EAV-HP virus caused the infected hens to lay blue eggs. When people saw the blue eggs, they decided to breed for that trait.

I actually want to study Zoology as well. It's a fascinating subject! There is a website called The Great Courses (you have to pay for it, but I actually get it free through my library). It has a very good Zoology course, which I've learned a lot from. You should look into it!

 

[josephdad]

I don't know all the genetics, other than there are 12 genes that determine the brown aspect and 2 genes that determine the blue aspect.


The very basics of egg color:
There are only white and blue shells.
Brown eggs have brown coating on white shells.
Green eggs have brown coating on blue shells.
The brown coating can be very light or very dark, and can vary day to day.
Then the bloom can add another aspect to the egg color.
Pink/purplish eggs are usually from the bloom on a brown egg.

thats really cool! i never thought about how on the inside of all my brown eggs is white.