Mystery pink egg?

[schambo]

I have 3 pullets, all about 9-10 months. The Barred Rock (Pepper) was laying brown eggs in September, then quit for a while when it started getting darker. One Easter Egger (Jellybean) has been laying green eggs since the end of January (confirmed, literally saw one fall out of her). I was pretty sure my Jem started laying about a week ago, because several days I’ve come out and found two green eggs in the nest box, one the same as what Jellybean had been laying, and one slightly smaller but more elongated, and a slightly browner shade of green. So who TF laid this pink egg? Is this just one of Pepper’s brown eggs, but flukishly light? Was Jellybean just tricking me by laying two eggs some days, and the pink egg is actually Jem starting?

Pepper’s brown eggs in September


Green eggs from the past few weeks (see how some are larger, rounder, and lighter and some are smaller, longer and darker?


WTF pink egg??


For the record, all three chickens are squatting and have red combs and fairly open vents, so all are likely candidates to be laying soon anyway.

 

[schambo]

I’m guessing it was Pepper the BR - I looked back and saw this photo I took in the fall of another one of her eggs that seemed pinkish, too, but I think maybe the pink stood out less when in a basket of other browns so I chalked it up as "light brown" rather than "pink". This is cool! I hope she lays more like this; I love some variety!

 

[NatJ]

I’m guessing it was Pepper the BR - I looked back and saw this photo I took in the fall of another one of her eggs that seemed pinkish, too, but I think maybe the pink stood out less when in a basket of other browns so I chalked it up as "light brown" rather than "pink". This is cool! I hope she lays more like this; I love some variety!

I think you're probably right.

 

[Jenni Hen]

Spooky!! I also got a surprise pink egg today!

I have six bantams, almost 3 years old, who've not laid since October but are now making nests everywhere. They lay little bantam-sized eggs. The four Sussex lay light brown eggs, the New Red Hampshire a darker shade of brown but slightly smaller, and the Buff Plymouth Rock lays pearly white eggs.

I have also two Shetland pullets who have recently started laying. Their eggs are greeny blue and about the size of small normal hen's egg.

But, this pink egg is even bigger than a small normal hen's egg! If it weren't so pretty I would be spooked.

 

[NatJ]

But, this pink egg is even bigger than a small normal hen's egg! If it weren't so pretty I would be spooked.

Maybe a double yolk egg? They tend to be bigger.

 

[Jenni Hen]

Maybe a double yolk egg? They tend to be bigger.

Oooh, I never thought of that, thank you.

I've just read in another thread that a pink egg is 'white + brown coating-gone- different' (roughly speaking) so it must be from a hen that's not laid for months. I did wonder if the size might be due to it being the first after a long break. They've not done any double yolk eggs before but that kinda makes sense.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

What breed Gem is? Is she an Egger mix? Does she have feathered feet and a beard by any chance? If so hatcheries often use Faverolles in the mixes and they lay pinkish colored eggs.

 

[3KillerBs]

The pink would be brown with a heavy coat of bloom.

 

[schambo]

What breed Gem is? Is she an Egger mix? Does she have feathered feet and a beard by any chance? If so hatcheries often use Faverolles in the mixes and they lay pinkish colored eggs.

Jem’s an Easter Egger of some sort, with feathered feet and a beard, but I’m at least 70% sure that she’s been laying green eggs.