Is it desirable/undesirable for a Welsummer egg to be spotted?

[houndit]

I have a few Welsummers. I wondered if it was preferred, did not matter, or was undesirable for a Welsummer egg to have the dark spots.
Thanks!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't know. I *suspect* speckles are undesirable breeding wise, but they are desireable to me as I like them. My 1 welsummer girl lays speckled sometimes, but not all the time.

Not to hijack, but a related welsummer egg question: My girls started laying and the eggs started out light, then went dark, now they are back to a lighter shade. Is this normal? A new layer thing? Will they darken up again? (they have been laying for 2 weeks)

 

[Illia]

Quote:
That's a normal dark-egg laying thing. No they will never darken up again, not until the next laying cycle. That's how the process goes - As they first start out, they have tighter vents, but their "paint machines have not been primed" so they first begin to kind of spray the egg and leave speckles. As time goes on, they get better at it, and go through their dark phase. After a while, their dark phase leaves and over time their eggs get lighter and lighter. With Marans, the goal here is to have the dark phase lighten up as slowly as possible, so you have darker eggs for a longer period of time.

I wouldn't think spotted eggs are exactly a desired trait though, as spotting can often mean something is off with how the hen colors her egg, or that she just doesn't color it dark enough. For people who want a really neat looking egg though, of course it is desired! Welsummers really are not the darkest layers, so for some people like me, they're an ideal thought for using the "spotted eggs" trait and crossing to something else to get that spotted look on another egg.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Desirable for what? I desire them! I love speckled eggs. It is not something that the Welsummers are judged on at shows, if that's what you mean. So, really, it is just a matter of opinion.

 

[pinkchick]

Welsummer eggs can be both spotted and smooth in color. Both are acceptable.....the most important thing is that they are TerraCotta colored.


Chooks~

My one remaining Wellie gal lays a different egg every time. Some days it is a smooth egg no speckles and the next one a lighter colored egg that is beautiful and heavily speckled, the next is back to smooth or lightly speckled. 11 of them are in my best friends bator, each one of them is different.

They have only been laying for 2 weeks....they are still working out the kinks in the paint department.


Hope this helps!!!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Thanks pink, it helps a lot!

 

[EweSheep]

Yes it is perfectly acceptable for Welsummers to have speckles and non speckled eggs. Some of them would really get the paint splats on them! As long it is terra cotta color and the speckled colors are a bit darker, those Welsummers are fine.

I got one that would lay nice terra cotta but she puts out the map design on them. Not sure why but it didn't stop her from laying lOL!