How do you tell what eggs come from which hens?

For the most part, I don't even try.

I do have certain hens whose eggs have certain characteristics that make their eggs very distinct. For example, there's not an egg carton in this world tall enough to close over Ivy's eggs (unless...do they make ostrich egg cartons?). My Lil' Bit always put a "kiss" of speckles on one end of hers. My Bella's are always round, neither end more pointed than the other. Etc., etc.

Mostly, I just keep a running tally in my head of who I see in the nestboxes on a daily basis...and DH wonders why there's little room left in my head for anything else

Supposedly you can check their vent area to check who's moist *down there* and who's not, but unless I see a problem like a dirty bottom or a hen acting a bit off I don't.

 

Yep I agree certain characteristics, size, color, speckles on the eggs stuff like that. This is going to sound crazy but it was kinda a game with myself ( too much time on my hands apparently) anyway when my girls first started laying I would steal there eggs and blow them out and write there names on the egg shells and then try and guess whos eggs I collected and before you know it you can just tell. LOL told ya it was crazy!

I have 3o hens and can look in the pen and tell if one is not in the crowd .

 

Ive heard of people putting different colors of lipstick on the hens butts lol...then when they lay the lipstick rubs off on the eggs....and its all color coded. LOL

 

Um... Nikkumz that is disturbing.. lol
Only 2 of my 6 have started laying, a white hen and a brown hen so at the moment it's easy to tell.. lol. My white hen is quite regular with double yokers too and those eggs are HUGE compared to her regular ones.

 

I usually have chickens that lay different colored eggs, which makes it easier to tell. Different breeds may lay different colors. I've had different shades of brown, tinted (pale), cream, green and blue, some with speckles. Even the ones that lay the same color of egg have differences in the shade or density of the pigment on the egg. I have one right now that lays an egg with less bloom on it, so it's a duller color and not as smooth feeling. Some chickens will lay an egg that's just slightly more rounded or elongated. Others are larger or smaller.

If they stop laying for a few weeks because they're molting or broody, you notice which egg color is missing from the egg basket. Sometimes you happen to be out there right after they come off the nest and you pick up a warm egg. If you hear the egg song from one of them, you can go check the nest for a freshly laid egg. Those are the ways I find out who laid a particular egg.

When pullets have matured enough that they're getting ready to lay for the first time, their comb and wattles will start getting red. When they stop laying because they're broody or molting, the color will go back to pink. When they start laying again, it goes back to red. So, that can help you tell which chicken isn't laying. You can also look at the vent or feel the pelvic bone area, but checking comb color is an easier way.