RIR or Buff Orpington egg?

[Mallory835]

We have a RIR and a Buff Orpington and got our first egg this morning. I am confused as to which one layed it though. The Buff was squatting some yesterday when I went to pet her, but the RIR was making really loud squawking noises that i haven't heard from her before. My family is new to raising chickens. Could anyone please help me identify which of my chickens layed this egg? It has a bit of dirt on it because it was layed in the run. (I put it in the grass just to take the pic) Also, I'm not sure if this was entirely a coincidence, but yesterday the feed store mistakenly gave me a bag of layer feed. I had already opened it when I noticed and decided to use it until I could get a different kind. Could changing the feed make a difference that fast or was this just a coincidence?

 

[8 Chicks 1967]

same color as my Buff/Rock.

 

[Mallory835]

Thanks! I was confused because the color seems like it would be from the Buff, but it was really small in size. I guess I assumed the Buff would lay larger eggs. We got both of the chickens at the same time so they are both about 5 months old. I thought the Buff would take longer to lay. The RIR's wattles also seemed to be really large and bright red yesterday too. Hopefully we will have 2 layers soon!

 

[8 Chicks 1967]

First pullet eggs are smaller they will get larger. Never had a RIR so, I can't say as to the eggs color

 

[Crooked Chicken]

If you look at the vent of your chicken and it has a tight coin slot appearance, she is not laying. A laying hen's vent will be more of a pucker.

Here is a good article by one of the BYC members: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Crooked Chicken]

I have RIR and BO girls and I have dark and light brown eggs that come from both breeds.

 

[oceansunset73]

Looks like it was probably the Buff's. Although I do have one RIR (Production Red) that lays light colored eggs, usually RIR eggs are darker.

Maybe your RIR was singing the egg song for her. Lol. I've actually had that happen before believe it or not, I have two RIR's that are BFF's, one will not go anywhere without the other. When the one had her very first egg, the other one actually sang the egg song for her. It was pretty cute!

*Edit: Don't worry about the egg size. The first few will be small. They will get bigger in time.

 

[8 Chicks 1967]

Believe this or not each hen we have lays a slighty different type shape and texture egg so, we can actually tell witch hen we got a nugget from.

 

[rebrascora]

Firstly, congratulations on your first egg!
It's purely a coincidence that you started them on layer feed and then got an egg the next day.
First pullets eggs are often small..... very occasionally they can be really tiny "fairy" or "fart" eggs which usually don't have a yolk inside. They will get larger as their system swings into full production. Colour can also vary a bit in the first few days although usually the eggs will be darkest brown at the start of their laying cycle and fade slightly in hue over the next few months. You tend to notice it more with really dark brown egg layers like Marans or blue or olive egg layers.
You will probably find that the RIR lays very slightly larger eggs than the Orp, even though the Orp is a larger bird and shape is an individual trait. My RIR used to lay long thin torpedo shaped eggs where you couldn't tell the pointy end from the round end. My leghorn used to lay a very round egg which you also couldn't tell one end from the other. I had an olive egger whose egg was really tear drop shaped.
It's fascinating to figure out who laid which egg. One of the reasons I love having a mixture of breeds in my flock, as it's easy to figure out who laid what... and I love the variety of colours in the egg box as well as the flock.
My bet would probably be on the buff Orp for that egg just because it is so pale but it could still be from the red. They can and will practise the egg song before they start laying. so don't let her fool you purely on that evidence.
I hope you get another different egg soon to compare and figure it out.... please update us when that happens.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[Bridger Davis]

I agree with most everything being said. ANy chickens (no matter what the breed) first egg will be small. Mine was slightly larger than a grape. But I think this is the buff's. The RIR could be that color, but usually a bit darker.