Pink/mauve egg

[PtldChick]

I got a first egg from one of my girls today...it is a dark pink/mauve color. Not the tinted light pink that most call pink. But up next to the yellow brown of an RSL or BSL egg, it definitely looks pink.

I was thinking it might be my Cuckoo Marans (who looks like she's been ready forever). Since she's a hatchery bird, I realize she probably won't have very dark brown eggs. And maybe the mauve is the bloom that sometimes makes dark marans eggs look purple? Only on a lighter egg it looks dark pink/mauve?

Funny thing is had I known what I do now, I may not have gotten her (that she likely wouldn't be a dark egg layer). But having this dark pink egg in the egg basket will be pretty cool!

I took a picture but the flash lightened it out somewhat. What do you think? The SL eggs aren't mine, btw.

My only other possibilities are my BCM (please, no) or my second EE. I have gotten 2 blue-green eggs for a couple different days and I don't think Ivory is laying two eggs in one morning.

All of a sudden I went from 2 eggs to 6 eggs in less than a week - it's getting so exciting!

 

[pgpoultry]

I regularly get pink/mauve eggs from a Naked Neck Cross and Brahma cross. Seems they are more common in cross breeds than in pure breeds unless someone knows of a pure breed that regularly lay them.

 

[MontanaChickenLady]

My Lulu...a Light Brahma lays eggs that are definitely pinkish rather than anything that resembles brown. And even though she is one of my largest hens, she lays the smallest eggs. Go figure.

 

[PtldChick]

The pink/mauve color is definitely some kind of coating, because the one I got today had a few little scratches where a more orange-brown was showing through. The egg was also only partially coated; one end was more pink, the other more brown. I got two blue-green, one cream and this pink-brown one today, so there are four chickens laying!

i hoping my next will be a really nice dark brown.

 

[shelleen]

I have also gotten some pink/maroonish eggs. I thought maybe it was our Seabrights, but I have a Buff Brahma, too, MontanaChickenLady. Such a tiny egg, for such a big girl! Maybe a Coop Cam is in order, at least then I can narrow down who is laying what to a few birds!! Chickens certainly keep us guessing

 

[papinator]

I have 1 RIR that lays a more pink/mauve egg rather than brown...

 

[Farm_Maven]

Quote:
Me too!!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

EE's can lay pink eggs.

 

[Illia]

Pink eggs and mauve eggs, and whatever other names you put on them, are as guessed - A white extra coating on the egg making it appear lighter and more "red" tinted than it normally is. Light brown turns pink, brown turns darker pink, dark brown turns plum purple.

In normal brown egg layers this trait usually happens when the bird is young, and disappears with age.


Some birds though, dark layers especially, may continue the trait throughout their life. Here's what a lot of my Wheaten Marans usually give me:

The egg on the right is the normal version.