I just got my 2 new "baby" chickens(18 weeks) integrated with my well established flock. They've been in there for 2 days and I was very concerned about pecking order and bullying from the older chickens. We'll I think the babies are comfortable because we got this tiny egg this morning and I'm pretty sure it's from one of the "babies". They are Americaunas so I'm hoping the next eggs I get from them will be more colorful. I'm so proud of my new flock because I've been so stressed out that they wouldn't accept the younger chicks.
Can eggs change color as the chick's are learning to lay/get larger???
Hi and welcome to BYC. From the little i understand the blue egg laying gene is dominant over the white laying gene, so if she is laying white eggs, then she does not carry the blue egg laying gene. I'm sure the experts will shed more light / correct me.
I just got my 2 new "baby" chickens(18 weeks) integrated with my well established flock. They've been in there for 2 days and I was very concerned about pecking order and bullying from the older chickens. We'll I think the babies are comfortable because we got this tiny egg this morning and I'm pretty sure it's from one of the "babies". They are Americaunas so I'm hoping the next eggs I get from them will be more colorful. I'm so proud of my new flock because I've been so stressed out that they wouldn't accept the younger chicks.
Can eggs change color as the chick's are learning to lay/get larger???
Glad your integration went well!
I'd be surprised that the new pullets would lay so soon, unless they were laying before you got them.
The stress from even a good and easy integration can affect laying.
You should be able to tell if they are laying by examining vents and pelvic points.
Vent Appearance:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.
Pelvic Points, feel for the 2 bony points(pelvic bones) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.
Your 'Americaunas' are most likely Easter Eggers(an Ameraucana cross) depending on where you got them. EE's can lay either blue, green, brown, white, or pink....and, no, the egg shell color will not change.
Could that be an egg from one of your other birds, have you opened it up to see if it has a yolk??
Could be what's known as a fairy egg.
I'm not real sure, I have 2 white leghorns and one has been molting. It could possibly be from either of them but I'm thinking maybe the one that's about at the end of the molt. I'd never heard of a fairy egg.
Now that I've been watching the new chickens they are still pretty standoffish from the rest of the flock. The flock will peck at them if the new chickens get too close but I think they're happier to ignore the new ones for the most part. Tonight I went to check on them and the 2 new chick's were outside of the coop sleeping on the roof. I wouldn't care normally because predators shouldn't be able to get in but I do worry about how cold it's getting at night. Any ideas on how to get the new chickens to sleep in the coop?
I'm not real sure, I have 2 white leghorns and one has been molting. It could possibly be from either of them but I'm thinking maybe the one that's about at the end of the molt. I'd never heard of a fairy egg.
Now that I've been watching the new chickens they are still pretty standoffish from the rest of the flock. The flock will peck at them if the new chickens get too close but I think they're happier to ignore the new ones for the most part. Tonight I went to check on them and the 2 new chick's were outside of the coop sleeping on the roof. I wouldn't care normally because predators shouldn't be able to get in but I do worry about how cold it's getting at night. Any ideas on how to get the new chickens to sleep in the coop?
