Ring around the egg?

[EggWalrus]

I used paste dye that I had from a cake decorating class. They have it at Walmart and hobby lobby, in the cake decorating areas. I applied it to the vent with cotton swabs, but will have to do it again. Only one laid that showed any color. Instead of on the vent, I'm going to have to try IN the vent, although my children say,"won't they just poop it out?. I may have to use lipstick. It may stay on better. Going to go check nests right now. We haven't been home most of the day.
Added: nine eggs, no dye color. Yesterday had proof of one layer with black dye.

Cut a sliver of the cheapest lipstick you can get at the dollar store, and insert it in the vent. The cheap stuff tends to melt and smear better. If your getting most your eggs about mid-day, lipstick them in the morning. If they are laying in afternoon, lipstick or food color them about noon. For me a good squirting of food coloring works best.

 

[CaptainSamH]

Cut a sliver of the cheapest lipstick you can get at the dollar store, and insert it in the vent. The cheap stuff tends to melt and smear better. If your getting most your eggs about mid-day, lipstick them in the morning. If they are laying in afternoon, lipstick or food color them about noon. For me a good squirting of food coloring works best.

You mean a squirt of regular liquid food coloring? At least 1-2 of mine are early morning layers...

 

[FortCluck]

This is a “white banded egg”.

this egg stopped in production and tbe next one ran into it. It gets an extra coating of calcium, and the ring forms.

it’s a hiccup in the system, but nothing to be too alarmed at. A lot of times it is caused by stress, like, being kicked out of the box by another chicken, or bullied. Sometimes it’s a constant thing, and sometimes just occasionally.

I have a hen that spent a good 7 months with a white banded egg every two days, immediately followed, sometimes within an hour or two, by a soft shelled egg. Don’t be alarmed if you find soft shelled eggs afterward.

Thanks for that info!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This is how I supply oyster shell to my chickens. I was feeding them out of this thing. Bad plan, my dog was helping herself, getting fat as a tick and driving up the feed bill. Now I use it for the oyster shell. It does not get knocked over and does not need refilled very often. That's grit in a skillet next to it.

 

[EggWalrus]

You mean a squirt of regular liquid food coloring? At least 1-2 of mine are early morning layers...

Yep! Just squirt a different color up the Ol' Wazoo of each of them. If they are all the same breed you might need to wrap a bread tie around there legs with the color written on it to tell them apart. Or you can even do a "fake" toe punch. Get a sharpie marker and put 1 dot in the webbing between the two "right most" toes onthe right foot for girl #1. Put 2 dots for girl #2. Once you get to 4 dots between the right most toes, start over with 1 dot between the 2 left most toes on the right foot for girl #5. Theoretically, you can number and keep up with a heck of a lot of birds (hundreds) if you use the right combo of punches. The old timer down the road uses the toe puch method and can keep up with hundreds. Right foot counts 0-9, left foot 10-90, 1 punch in right wattle (100) and 2 in right foot toes would be bird #102.
Whoa! I'm getting out here in left field!
Yep. A good squirt of FC should do the trick.

 

[CaptainSamH]

Yep! Just squirt a different color up the Ol' Wazoo of each of them. If they are all the same breed you might need to wrap a bread tie around there legs with the color written on it to tell them apart. Or you can even do a "fake" toe punch. Get a sharpie marker and put 1 dot in the webbing between the two "right most" toes onthe right foot for girl #1. Put 2 dots for girl #2. Once you get to 4 dots between the right most toes, start over with 1 dot between the 2 left most toes on the right foot for girl #5. Theoretically, you can number and keep up with a heck of a lot of birds (hundreds) if you use the right combo of punches. The old timer down the road uses the toe puch method and can keep up with hundreds. Right foot counts 0-9, left foot 10-90, 1 punch in right wattle (100) and 2 in right foot toes would be bird #102.
Whoa! I'm getting out here in left field!
Yep. A good squirt of FC should do the trick.

Thanks for the great info...and for the morning chuckle!