Illinois...

[cavemanrich]

I haven't been able to figure out which is the third layer. Our Speckled Sussex and GLW are laying excellently though. We always have eggs in the fridge now.

Kind of easy if you do want to find out. Get some food color and smear some on the vent of the suspected hens. Then compare the mystery egg color streak to which hen has that same color.

 

[BReeder!]

Kind of easy if you do want to find out. Get some food color and smear some on the vent of the suspected hens. Then compare the mystery egg color streak to which hen has that same color.

I never thought of that... I'm hesitant to mess with their vents if not necessary. I do the occasional inspection and make sure things look normal (while also checking for lice/mites and any injuries or ailments), but am afraid to apply something with unknown side effects or touch the vent for fear of injuring the hen some how. Perhaps I'm just too much of a newbie still.

 

[Faraday40]

Kind of easy if you do want to find out. Get some food color and smear some on the vent of the suspected hens. Then compare the mystery egg color streak to which hen has that same color.

I actually tried that. I was told the gel food coloring works best. I avoided red of course.

I accidentally stained my hands like every other time I pull the food coloring out. I knew right away who made all the blue & green poops but the color did not show up on the eggs.

 

[cavemanrich]

I actually tried that. I was told the gel food coloring works best. I avoided red of course.

I accidentally stained my hands like every other time I pull the food coloring out. I knew right away who made all the blue & green poops but the color did not show up on the eggs.

I guess the vent ran out of ink by the time it came to egg time..

 

[chickendreams24]

LOL hahahaha

 

[BReeder!]

@Faraday40 I was considering the food coloring method, but was worried about exactly that scenario - would the food coloring last long enough... I am considering sticking my GoPro in the coop.
My wife did find an egg in one of the nest boxes yesterday. I picked up ceramic eggs on Monday while I was at Farm and Fleet, and then we kept the girls locked in the coop yesterday with the ceramic eggs placed in one of the nest boxes. 1 laid in the nest box, another laid on the floor of the coop and then a third egg was laid later in the day under the coop. My wife let them out after seeing the first two eggs assuming that's all we were getting for the day.

 

[Faraday40]

I just collect eggs multiple times throughout the morning. That's how I eventually figure it out. Even now I sometimes have trouble identifying specific hens. ie: I'll know it's an orp egg.... but was it from my lav or my black/lav split. (They're sisters, and their eggs look alike. However, for hatching it doesn't matter much.)

@BReeder! Just wait until you watch an egg come out - all warm & wet - and drop into the bedding. You'll know it's about to pop out when the hen (after quietly laying there for a while) stands with pelvis tilted and is pumping her abdomen muscles.

 

[Faraday40]

@chickendreams24
Please post of pic of the Leghorn(s) from me.
My girl still has NO COMB and a pale face. She looks like a Leghorn in other ways & hatched from a white egg. She's also not skittish. I can't complain. She'll be 4 months in 9 days.

The eggs were purchased via the County Farm Bureau from a hatchery in Iowa. The white eggs were supposed to be Leghorns. That's all I was told.

Does anyone else know what kind of hybrid she may be?

 

[cavemanrich]

I read about California White breed. The comb color looks like the one in this video.

 

[Faraday40]

I read about California White breed. The comb color looks like the one in this video.

It's a very good guess. When searching, the 2 best ideas are: California White & Austra-White. However, they should have a few black or grayish feathers. Mine does not have any black/gray specks anywhere in the feathers - as chicks or now as a pullet.

Looking forward to lots of white eggs.... but no signs of them coming anytime soon.