Rhode Island Red laying white egg

[TerryBowleg]

I have 5 Rhode Island Reds (yes, I’m positive they are Rhode Island Reds) and they have just been laying for around 6 weeks or so. Some lay a browner egg and I have a couple that lay a light brown egg. The past couple of days I’ve got an egg or two that look completely white. I’ve read about this happening near a molt but they’re just now at laying age so that shouldn’t be the cause. Is it normal? Diet deficiency? Possible sickness? They seem happy and healthy. Here’s a couple of pics with brown eggs and what I would call an almost completely white egg.

 

[aart]

The brown coating can vary, in some birds more than others.

 

[TerryBowleg]

The brown coating can vary, in some birds more than others.

So a colorless/white egg is no concern in a brown egg layer?

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

My RIR's eggs are a very light brown like this. She's an older lady that I've only had for about a year, but they have always been a very light brown, similar to the photos you showed. As long as you are feeding them a balanced diet and not too many treats, and the shells seem hard, I wouldn't worry about it. It's actually nice to have different shades of egg shells so if you ever get a weird egg you can tell who laid it.

 

[FunClucks]

So a colorless/white egg is no concern in a brown egg layer?

Could be the photo, but it doesn't look white to me. She could be putting the faintest brown coating on it. See if you can get one of the supermarket white eggs (white production leghorn) to compare to and see if you can see a difference.

Also, sometimes chickens will have a "dye factory malfunction" where they don't put a coating on it. This has happened before where I've had a few green eggers lay blue because their brown coating just didn't happen one day. They're usually fine and put the brown coating on the next day.

The "dye factory malfunction" seems to have no impact upon the chickens' health, it's just a coating malfunction that may sometimes occur. If it happens regularly, I'd say your chicken just doesn't have a lot of brown egg dye coating glands (or whatever controls it/whatever you call it) in her dye factory - a genetic issue that happens sometimes. RIR egg color can vary.

 

[aart]

So a colorless/white egg is no concern in a brown egg layer?

As long as she's eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK, no I'd not worry.

See if you can get one of the supermarket white eggs (white production leghorn) to compare to and see if you can see a difference.

Or a sheet of white paper.

 

[ggarcia452]

I have a barred rock and Buff Plymouth rock 22 weeks old and both should be laying brown eggs, why are they both laying completely white eggs?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a barred rock and Buff Plymouth rock 22 weeks old and both should be laying brown eggs, why are they both laying completely white eggs?

Welcome To BYC

Do you have photos of both pullets and their eggs?

 

[Mrs. K]

It is probably a genetic factor, like some kids have freckles in a family and others do not.

Basic rule of thumb is if they are eating, active, bright eyed and laying - there is nothing wrong with them. No sense worrying about what you can't fix. What color they lay is what color they lay. They just didn't get the memo about brown eggs.

ps. A lot of times my chickens lay various shades of a color, some more so than others.

Mrs K

 

[TerryBowleg]

I have a barred rock and Buff Plymouth rock 22 weeks old and both should be laying brown eggs, why are they both laying completely white eggs?

They just started laying. They’ll probably be brown soon.