Is it possible for white-egg-layers to lay brown eggs?

[TheMommaHen13]

I have 12 laying hens. Two Ameraucanas, two Barred Rocks, a Belgian D'Uccle, a Cochin, 3 Andalusians, 2 Hamburgs and 1 Dominique. So, I should have 4 brown egg layers and 6 white egg layers and then the two Ameraucanas (blue and pink/cream). I am consistently getting 1-2 small brown eggs that I can't trace to any of the hens. The bantam eggs are easy to tell. The Barred Rocks are easy because they're so much bigger (they're my oldest brown egg layers). Then I'm getting 3 small-med white eggs and yesterday I got 2 small-med brown eggs. My first thought is that the three Andalusians laid the 3 white ones and the Hamburgs laid the 2 brown ones, but I know they are white-egg-layers. And I double checked their earlobes just in case -- white! Anyone else ever have this happen? I am stumped. (And, if it means anything, the Hamburgs and Andalusian are relatively newer layers.)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ridgerunner]

It all depends on the genetics.

First, there is no genetic link between ear lobe color and egg shell color. There are enough white earlobed chcikens that lay white eggs and red earlobed chickens that lay brown eggs that that specific old wives tale got started, but there are several breeds that don't follow that rule. Once you mix chicken breeds that ear lobe thing is out of the window. So don't get too hung up on ear lobe color. It will lead you astray.

Second, I don't know where you got your chickens. If any brown egg shell genes got into their geneology, even many generations back, it is very difficult to get it out. Without knowing the genetic history of your specific chickens, I can't answer you for sure on your specific chickens. But is it possible that a chicken sold as a white egg laying chicken will lay brown eggs? Yes it is possible.

 

[TheMommaHen13]

Thank you so much for this awesome info! Learn something new everyday....

 

[sierras mom11]

You didnt say anything about the cochin and they lay brown eggs and if just starting they would lay a small brown egg, and sometimes when a hen is just getting started they will drop 2 eggs in 24 hrs.

 

[sourland]

It all depends on the genetics.
First, there is no genetic link between ear lobe color and egg shell color. There are enough white earlobed chcikens that lay white eggs and red earlobed chickens that lay brown eggs that that specific old wives tale got started, but there are several breeds that don't follow that rule. Once you mix chicken breeds that ear lobe thing is out of the window. So don't get too hung up on ear lobe color. It will lead you astray.
Second, I don't know where you got your chickens. If any brown egg shell genes got into their geneology, even many generations back, it is very difficult to get it out. Without knowing the genetic history of your specific chickens, I can't answer you for sure on your specific chickens. But is it possible that a chicken sold as a white egg laying chicken will lay brown eggs? Yes it is possible.

RR, what are the breed exceptions to this 'old wives tale'? Seriously, I thought this was fact and have experienced no exceptions.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sour, we've discussed this before. Just go to the Henderson's Breed Chart and look for yourself this time. You'll find several with white earlobes that lay tinted eggs and several with red earlobes that lay white eggs.

I've also got some mutts in my flock that have white earlobes and lay brown eggs. It won't do any good to take pictures and show you because you'd have to either believe me or not. Besides, I'm not sure which eggs they actually lay. All my eggs are brown and they are all laying.

You can look under genetics of earlobes on this site for what they say about the genetics. It's not really much but the red is due to the blood inside, same as the wattles and comb. The white earlobes come from white deposits that hide the blood. They say several genes are involved in that white. I don't know if those white genes are dominant or recessive, but if brown egg shell genes are present, there will be brown eggs in the future regardless of earlobe color.

http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl

Say "Hi" to the princess from me.

 

[sourland]

Sour, we've discussed this before. Just go to the Henderson's Breed Chart and look for yourself this time.

Excuse me, frankly I must have forgotten? Got the message loud and clear.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sour, I sure didn’t mean it to sound like I was upset or anything like that. I’m certainly not. I was just busy.

Anyway, I went through the chart and came up with these. Some of them are pretty blatant but a lot of them might say something like white earlobes and white or tinted eggs, or white earlobes and white or creamy eggs. That’s still not all white. Some say red earlobes and white eggs. And I have a couple of mutts with white earlobes that lay brown eggs.

White earlobes, nonwhite eggs.
Ancona, Andalusian, D’anver, D’Uccle, Catalana, Dutch, Fayoumimi, Lakenvelder, Penedesenca, Yokohama,

Red earlobes, white eggs
Crevecoeur, Holland, Lamona, Modern Game, Phoenix, Redcap, Sumatra,