WHAAAATTTTTT?

[Peppercorngal]

Ted,

You made me do some research as I had never heard of those 2 breeds before. Interesting! Yes, they are remarkably similar to Plymouth Rocks in almost every way. I ordered from Cackle and they don't carry those breeds apparently and according to what I pulled up just now both are extremely rare so I doubt if Cackle would sell them for the price of Rocks IF they had them.

I'm tending to go with valeriej's response that since it was a first egg for my girl it may have some mutant (my words!) shell color pigment.

Thanks for the education on 2 more breeds!

You didn't say if you ordered the barred Plymouth rocks or the white Plymouth rocks. I assume the barred Plymouth rocks. I would bet that you received one of a different breed that blends in so much you don't notice. A white egg layer is not going to change into a brown egg layer! Lucky you, you get variety!

 

[trainman]

I'm sorry....they are Barred Rocks. I'm an old guy and I grew up knowing them as Plymouth Rocks. It wasn't until about 10 years ago I first heard them referred to as barred. I haven't seen any differences in them other than a few hens have more white on some wing feather tips. They all have "normal" combs and leg coloring and everything else. No white lobes.

As a kid my parents had an egg & meat business and we had a couple hundred Rhode Island Reds we used for the egg and meat business. Once Pop took me with him to pick up the chicks and I saw the Plymouths for the first time. I was enamored with their looks. I asked him why we didn't get them instead and he said because we use RIR's......end of story. I swore when I got old enough I'd have a pasture full of them. For many, many years I couldn't have chickens in Scum City (Houston, TX). Until July I had to settle for what I could find around here. With the new coop and no chickens I got my wish for a 100% PR flock. I hate the idea there may be a lurker from some other breed in there! LOL

My wife loved our old flocks with all the colored birds. As much as I hate to admit it I did too! So as these die off I'll be adding Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps, White Rocks and more Welsumers and Easter Eggers. The colored eggs were a favorite with friends I shared them with.

 

[ValerieJ]

Ted,

You made me do some research as I had never heard of those 2 breeds before. Interesting! Yes, they are remarkably similar to Plymouth Rocks in almost every way. I ordered from Cackle and they don't carry those breeds apparently and according to what I pulled up just now both are extremely rare so I doubt if Cackle would sell them for the price of Rocks IF they had them.

I'm tending to go with valeriej's response that since it was a first egg for my girl it may have some mutant (my words!) shell color pigment.

Thanks for the education on 2 more breeds!

It's just a matter of the pigment function not working yet. You will find times, particularly in early laying, when the pigment will come out speckled, or darker than it should. Learning to lay an egg takes their system a few tries sometimes. Some lay shell-less eggs in the beginning.

 

[ValerieJ]

You didn't say if you ordered the barred Plymouth rocks or the white Plymouth rocks. I assume the barred Plymouth rocks. I would bet that you received one of a different breed that blends in so much you don't notice. A white egg layer is not going to change into a brown egg layer! Lucky you, you get variety!

I think it might, if this is a first egg, and a one time event. Remember, it's her first egg.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I'm sorry....they are Barred Rocks. I'm an old guy and I grew up knowing them as Plymouth Rocks. It wasn't until about 10 years ago I first heard them referred to as barred. I haven't seen any differences in them other than a few hens have more white on some wing feather tips. They all have "normal" combs and leg coloring and everything else. No white lobes.

As a kid my parents had an egg & meat business and we had a couple hundred Rhode Island Reds we used for the egg and meat business. Once Pop took me with him to pick up the chicks and I saw the Plymouths for the first time. I was enamored with their looks. I asked him why we didn't get them instead and he said because we use RIR's......end of story. I swore when I got old enough I'd have a pasture full of them. For many, many years I couldn't have chickens in Scum City (Houston, TX). Until July I had to settle for what I could find around here. With the new coop and no chickens I got my wish for a 100% PR flock. I hate the idea there may be a lurker from some other breed in there! LOL

My wife loved our old flocks with all the colored birds. As much as I hate to admit it I did too! So as these die off I'll be adding Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps, White Rocks and more Welsumers and Easter Eggers. The colored eggs were a favorite with friends I shared them with.

I know what you mean about missing the different colored chickens! One year my flock was entirely wiped out by bears. When I got more chicks I didn't get any white chicken breeds. Boy, I found I really missed them. A gentlemen was selling his property near to mine and I bought his 4 Delaware hens from him. I was so happy to have some white chickens again, I didn't realize how much I missed them until I replaced them! I have a very diverse flock now. I get blue eggs, white eggs, but mostly brown eggs. I have an egg business and want to add more blue layers as the customers love them!
Good luck!

 

[trainman]

Sounds reasonable. The same day I found a shell less egg in the nest box adjoining that one. They started out very small and are getting bigger by the day.

 

[trainman]

Here's a shot from a couple years ago with some of the mixed chickens and my goofy ducks.

 

[trainman]

Obviously I don't know how to ad pictures. I got a new laptop from Santa and I don't have any computer savvy sorry!

 

[ValerieJ]

Obviously I don't know how to ad pictures. I got a new laptop from Santa and I don't have any computer savvy sorry!

I find it hard to learn new computer techs too! If everything would just work the same way, with the same menus! I was lost when they switched to icons instead of words. Come on! I can read just fine, but what do all these little symbols mean?

 

[trainman]

AMEN!