Michael Jackson eggs

[Anneke]

Hi everyone,

I looked to see if someone posted something like this already, but I couldn't find anything. Probable because I don't know how to call this. Therefor I call it my Michael Jackson eggs.

We got new red laying hens in June when they were 16 weeks old. They starting laying quite quick after.
After a while a X amount of eggs started off quite brown, but when I washed them, the turned between 1 and 10 shades lighter.
My question is, how come? And what can I do about it. It gives me quite a bit of extra work to get it all off and if I leave it, people will not want them.
The food their getting is crushed screening with all sorts of grains in them, mixed with laying hen food and ground flax.
Anyone an idea why this happens?

 

[Kelsie2290]

What / what are you washing them with? How long are you letting them sit before you wash them? The brown is just a color layer added to the shell, surface mostly, near the end of the egg making cycle by the hen. Some hens seem to add it really late and a thin layer, I have some that the color will wash off. Brown color washing off is a common complaint with really dark eggs like Marans and Welsummers. (Do a search on BYC for it.)
http://hencam.com/henblog/2012/02/brown-green-blue-white-chicken-egg-color-the-real-story/

 

[Anneke]

Thank you Kelsie

I just let them soak in water for a bit (when muddy al little longer).
A lot of times the eggs already have some light streaks specially when it rains and the eggs get some mud on them. So 99% of the time I really have to wash them till their one color.
I never had this problem with my first red laying hens, so that's why I thought that I'm doing something wrong.

 

[donrae]

I just spot wash and sometimes wipe off a bit of the color. Folks still take my eggs. No need to wash the whole thing off. Actually, I don't wash unless visibly soiled, washing removes the bloom.

 

[Anneke]

I always wash them, just with cold water, but then again, lot of the eggs have spots and/or mud on them. The once that aren't dirty, I just rinse and I let the dry on a tea towel.