Surprise blue eggs

[BillyWhizz]

Hi First time post having had 6 hens for around a month.

We purchased our hens described as follows
2 golden speckled (to lay brown eggs)
1 grey speckled (to lay brown eggs)
1 leghorn (white eggs)
1 Devon Blue (blue eggs)
1 devon bronze (dark chestnut eggs)

We got a selection to make it easier to workout who was laying when (in a bit of a nerdy tally chart way)

But the last few days have become a mystery as they have started laying.

We have some large blue eggs which i assumed were from the devon blue, and i was very impressed with their size as her first eggs. But the last 2 days we have had more (albeit smaller... greyer) blue eggs laid next to them.

Is it possible that what we thought was a devon bronze (boxy little black hen) is laying blue eggs also? or the speckled grey?

photo attached showing the eggs from 2 days alongside a shop bought egg.

Thanks for any information anyone can give on surprise blue eggs

We are delighted with them but they were unexpected. we have had 1 brown egg and one white egg a day for the last 5 days so i’m ruling out the leghorn and golden speckled?

 

[ColtHandorf]

puckered

That word is almost as bad as moist. lol

I was going to suggest coloring some vents with food coloring, or lipstick to identify who is laying what.

 

[BillyWhizz]

Where did you get them?
Haven't heard of any of those except Leghorn.

I’m in uk. I’m not sure the golden speckled is their real name.

But i have seen mention of devon blue and devon bronze on a few sites.

Here are some photos. I don’t want to overload the site with photos.

 

[BGcoop]

Here are some photos. I don’t want to overload the site with photos.

You’re adorable!! I’m pretty sure almost EVERY thread on this site has photos!

 

[BillyWhizz]

You’re adorable!! I’m pretty sure almost EVERY thread on this site has photos!

maybe tomorrow i’ll try and get some better identifiable photos of the ladies.

 

[BillyWhizz]

Agree you probably have some cream leg bar hybrids. Hard to tell in the photos but your birds that have a small crest on top of their heads are likely this mix. These will lay a blue/green egg. The birds coloring can differ depending on what other breeds were used in the cross. We love photos here on BYC! Welcome!

This seems likely. Here are the ones in question.

Sandy feathered one we were told was Devon Blue.
Black feathers: Devon Bronze
and the grey and red were described as “normal / golden speckled hens”

I wonder if the grey is an “easter egger”. But equally we have had no chestnut eggs so Devon Bronze (if that is her real name) is in the frame for being the secret “blue egg bandit”

 

[NatJ]

They only started laying last week so it is possible that the devon bronze may not be laying yet.

You can usually tell who is laying by checking their vents (the hole where eggs & poop come out.)

If a hen's vent looks large and moist and stretchy (like an egg could fit through it), she is laying.

If a hen's vent looks small and puckered up, she is not laying yet. (Roosters and young chicks have vents that look the same as hens that are not laying.)

 

[BillyWhizz]

Agree you probably have some cream leg bar hybrids. Hard to tell in the photos but your birds that have a small crest on top of their heads are likely this mix. These will lay a blue/green egg. The birds coloring can differ depending on what other breeds were used in the cross. We love photos here on BYC! Welcome!

This seems likely here are the ones in question.

You can usually tell who is laying by checking their vents (the hole where eggs & poop come out.)

If a hen's vent looks large and moist and stretchy (like an egg could fit through it), she is laying.

If a hen's vent looks small and puckered up, she is not laying yet. (Roosters and young chicks have vents that look the same as hens that are not laying.)

I think i’ll try a gopro in the nest boxes first

 

[BillyWhizz]

Actually, the I think the grey speckled is supposed to be a marans hybrid too, but your hen doesn’t have pink/white legs like they’re supposed to. She may be the other one laying colored eggs.

Yes i’m moving towards the grey speckled being the blue egg bandit. I’ll see if i can catch her on candid camera over the next few days

 

[The Moonshiner]

Where did you get them?
Haven't heard of any of those except Leghorn.