Silly Egg questions!!

[shannybell]

I have some weird (and probably dumb) egg questions. I have about 20 laying hens in a widely wonderful and mixed flock. And while I would love to just sit with them all day and watch who lays which egg, "life" won't let me do that. Although I can ususally identify most of the eggs as to who laid them when I go to gather. However, there are a couple who have managed to remain very sneaky layers. It's making me crazy!

I'll ask my questions and if there is a link to somewhere with answers to all of this, maybe you could post that too! Or if not, just answer what you would be kindly to.

Referring to the picture below:

- On the egg on the left, what makes it look like the "food coloring" ran? It almost looks like water stains or something but the egg has not been wet. And this is one of the mystery layers. What kind of chicken would lay this funny color of green speckled egg? I have a mixed breed hen that's mostly orange, and to me shows no signs of being an EE, but this may be her egg.

- On the egg on the right, what makes the ring of darker color around this egg? Also, what makes the little calcium deposits on this egg? This hen lays eggs with these things on there every time she lays. Most of the time, they are really concentrated on the small end point of the egg. I think it's neat, unique...just wondering what causes it.





Other questions not related to the picture:

- What causes an egg to have speckles? Will a hen who lays a specked egg, lay a speckled egg every time or will she lay one without speckles sometimes? I clean off spots with sand paper before I store them and I've noticed that some speckles sand off and some don't. Interesting.

- (Dumb question) /i know size will vary, but will a particular hen's egg have the exact same outer shell color every time she lays or will it vary a shade or two?


Thanks in advance

 

[DanEP]

As far as the green egg goes there is somebody in your girls heritage with the blue egg gene and she is a mix of that and a brown egg layer.
The bumps on the other egg are calcium deposits and happen, I had a buff orp that layed eggs with them but not all the time. It seemed to lesson as she aged. The uneven coloring is just something that happens like the spots and seems to be genetic and seems to be a trait that is passed along to their chicks.
And lastly yes chickens go thru a cycle where the egg colors do lighten up and this is normal.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

That ring around the egg could be part of your birds "bloom" application. A protective coating that eggs get as their passed. It may have been just unevenly applied somehow.