Very Strange Egg Count...

[Farmerette]

Good morning!

If any of you have thoughts on the seven eggs we've gotten in the last two days, I'd love to hear them... Here's the story.

We have two 8-month-old RI Red pullets who lay very reliably. We also have a black Americauna hen, a Barred Rock hen, and three Araucana hens (one of whom is molting). Our RI Red rooster is most definitely not laying eggs. The birds are completely free range and have two preferred nests by our house, among other spots they've abandoned. Our older birds have largely stopped laying eggs lately, or else they're hiding them somewhere and we can't figure out where. However, we find two brown eggs every day almost without fail, and occasionally one of Dixie's "jumbo" Barred Rock eggs. This week has been a puzzle.

On Thursday, we did not allow them out of their coop because of gale-force winds that accompanied a nasty Nor'easter that hit us starting Wednesday night. They stayed in and cozy with food and water and a little cracked corn as a treat.

Yesterday morning, I went to let the birds out of the coop and found three eggs (two brown, one blue) in the coop. They went out happily and I heard a great deal of cackling over the course of the day. We checked all of the nests on Wednesday evening after the birds went to bed and brought in the eggs, so I know they were empty as of Friday morning.

Yesterday afternoon, I checked one of the nests and found three small brown eggs and thought that very strange.

This morning, I checked the other nest and found FOUR small brown eggs.

We only have two small brown-egg layers. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
- Norah

 

[kreagerm]

Are you sure the americauna and araucana's are pure, and not EE's (EE's can lay brown eggs depending on their lineage)? You mentioned you got a blue egg so we know one of them is laying a colored egg. Also what shade of brown did you find?

Lets do the math:
1- BR: she lays light colored eggs (but you didn't specify what shade of brown you found)
2- RIR (darker brown eggs)
1- Americauna (if not pure can lay green, blue, pink, brown)
3- Araucana (if not pure can lay green, blue, pink, brown)
------------
7 total layers of potential brown eggs
-1 for a blue egg
------------
6 that could lay potential brown eggs

yesterday morning you get 2 brown and 1 blue (lets say 2RIR and 1 americauna)
yesterday evening you get 3 small brown eggs (could be the 3 thought to be araucanas or BR)
this morning? because of the birds early maturity this could account for increased egg production, so it could have been any of them on this day except for the blue egg layer.

 

[Farmerette]

Hi there!

Our adult hens were adoptees, so I'm not entirely sure of their lineage. Since we've gotten them, we've gotten dark green eggs from one, pale green eggs from two, and blue eggs from one, plus the "jumbo" pale brown eggs from our BR. It's been really easy to keep track of their laying habits because the eggs are generally distinctive... The Rhodies have been reliably laying small, medium- to dark-brown eggs. I figured the two brown eggs in the coop came from the RIRs and the blue one came from our blue-egg layer (Hermes). Can the others suddenly switch egg colors just to confuse me? Our hens at work are all Red Dorkings and all lay pale pink-to-white eggs all the time, so mine at home are just puzzling.

Thanks!
- Norah

 

[earlybird10842]

Hi there!

Our adult hens were adoptees, so I'm not entirely sure of their lineage. Since we've gotten them, we've gotten dark green eggs from one, pale green eggs from two, and blue eggs from one, plus the "jumbo" pale brown eggs from our BR. It's been really easy to keep track of their laying habits because the eggs are generally distinctive... The Rhodies have been reliably laying small, medium- to dark-brown eggs. I figured the two brown eggs in the coop came from the RIRs and the blue one came from our blue-egg layer (Hermes). Can the others suddenly switch egg colors just to confuse me? Our hens at work are all Red Dorkings and all lay pale pink-to-white eggs all the time, so mine at home are just puzzling.

Thanks!
- Norah

I've heard of chickens swiching egg color, although it's very rare. Keep posting on your mystery egg count. The best way for me to find out who is laying what is to check the coop often, so I see who lays in what nestbox, and when I check later, I can see what they laid.

 

[kreagerm]

Hi there!

Our adult hens were adoptees, so I'm not entirely sure of their lineage. Since we've gotten them, we've gotten dark green eggs from one, pale green eggs from two, and blue eggs from one, plus the "jumbo" pale brown eggs from our BR. It's been really easy to keep track of their laying habits because the eggs are generally distinctive... The Rhodies have been reliably laying small, medium- to dark-brown eggs. I figured the two brown eggs in the coop came from the RIRs and the blue one came from our blue-egg layer (Hermes). Can the others suddenly switch egg colors just to confuse me? Our hens at work are all Red Dorkings and all lay pale pink-to-white eggs all the time, so mine at home are just puzzling.

Thanks!
- Norah

Mmmmm now that's interesting. As mentioned, it's not imposable to change colors, but usually just a few shades, from what I've seen. Maybe the eggs were from your RIR's then and their reproduction system just had a little "hick up".