Silkie thread!

[debs_flock]

Periodically someone starts to breed the blue egg gene into silkies. So its possible that one of your birds has that somewhere in its background. Or it could be stain from the muck you washed off (although for me muck-stained eggs are usually a patchy brownish colour).

The side of the egg I photographed only had a few dirt spots. The bottom half was the side embedded in the muck. So it truly had a greenish hue to the shell. I did put it in the incubator, so we'll see if I wiped it out in the water in about five days or so.

It was the first egg this color from the pen, so we'll see who continues to lay this color and I'll have to then go back to see where I got the egg that hatched the pullet. There are actually three different breeder's birds in that pen.

Thanks for the opinion.

Deb

 

[aoxa]

Mine typically lay all winter, but not much in the summer. Stress, which includes weatehr extremes tend to make chickens lay less frequently. For you, being in Canada, winter weather would be stressful, while my comparatively mild winters are not. However, my extreme summers very definitely are stressful. When my silkies aren't broody or molting or stressed, they typically lay daily. I have had a few who only laid rarely.

So to make a long story short, Silkies don't lay when stressed

Makes sense!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Blue and green eggs should be blue on the inside. The blue egg gene creates a blue eggshell (as compared with white). Green eggs are the result of a brown "wash" of pigment on top of the eggshell.

One other thing to consider on its origin is that the blue colouring comes from oocyanin, a byproduct of bile formation. So, if there is some sort of issue with the bird's liver, it might cause blue eggs?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: LOL, it's the bar code on the top of an old wine barrel. That's actually two different babies, the second one's spots were way better on one side, so I shot her from behind.

Deb
So she's checking out the vintage to make sure it is good enough?

 

[aoxa]

Blue and green eggs should be blue on the inside. The blue egg gene creates a blue eggshell (as compared with white). Green eggs are the result of a brown "wash" of pigment on top of the eggshell.

One other thing to consider on its origin is that the blue colouring comes from oocyanin, a byproduct of bile formation. So, if there is some sort of issue with the bird's liver, it might cause blue eggs?

Is that after you peel the white membrane off?

I never do that. I rarely have boiled eggs, so maybe that is where I'm getting my "their white on the inside" from.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Blue on the inside of the eggshell, not the contents. My aracana isn't currently laying (not sure if she will ever lay again, she is very old) or I could show you what I mean. http://www.carolegbert.com/mayo-egg-salad-from-local-hens and http://www.digginfood.com/2009/01/creamy-scrambled-eggs-with-parmesan-and-thyme/ show the inside of aracana eggshells.

 

[aoxa]

Blue on the inside of the eggshell, not the contents. My aracana isn't currently laying (not sure if she will ever lay again, she is very old) or I could show you what I mean. http://www.carolegbert.com/mayo-egg-salad-from-local-hens and http://www.digginfood.com/2009/01/creamy-scrambled-eggs-with-parmesan-and-thyme/ show the inside of aracana eggshells.

I do know that. I have plenty of blue layers.

You know the membrane that dries out when they hatch if you open up the bator? That's what I'm thinking is the inside coating. If I peeled that off, the eggshell is all one colour.

 

[peepblessed]

You always have the best background colors! Love that blue.... it brightens the colors of your self blues.

Thanks!!

 

[RockerHen]

quick pic I snapped of my chesty boy I think I'll call him Macho. He might be my first named chicken in years.

 

[peepblessed]

quick pic I snapped of my chesty boy

I think I'll call him Macho. He might be my first named chicken in years.

I had a beautiful Arab stallion named Macho. Great name for your boy!