What Causes Speckling on Eggs?

[Brahma Chicken5000]

What causes speckling on eggshells? I have an F1 Easter Egger who lays green eggs and sometimes her eggs are speckled. The speckles range in color from brown to gray to purple. Sometimes her eggs totally lack speckles.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

My hens do the same thing... It is due to the last process the end goes through.... It isn't abnormal for spots and speckles to vary.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

My hens do the same thing... It is due to the last process the end goes through.... It isn't abnormal for spots and speckles to vary.

Is speckling genetic?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Is speckling genetic?

I suppose it can be

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Not sure about the color of the speckles, but it could be caused by excess calcium.

I lean towards it not being a calcium issue because the speckles are all over the egg not just on one tip.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Not sure about the color of the speckles, but it could be caused by excess calcium.

I lean towards it not being a calcium issue because the speckles are all over the egg not just on one tip.

I know it’s not a calcium deposit I’m just curious if it’s deposited like the bloom or something. I’m also curious as to what determines the color of the speckles on the eggs.
Thank you for your reply though.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I thought it was extra pigment.....
I dunno, but I love extra speckles on my eggs! Some of my eggs have large speckles, too!
This egg is from my Buff Brahma:


And this one if from my Blue Splash Marans:

 

[chickpeasoup]

if you can rub off the speckles it's the dye on the egg, if not it could be calcium. this is only if the egg has been freshly laid
I've accidentally wiped off the dye on my welsummer eggs from my sweaty hands lol

 

[Cyprus]

Is speckling genetic?

Yes. To some extent, it is hereditary.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

if you can rub off the speckles it's the dye on the egg, if not it could be calcium. this is only if the egg has been freshly laid
I've accidentally wiped off the dye on my welsummer eggs from my sweaty hands lol

I have washed her eggs and the speckling doesn’t fade. The egg doesn’t have a bumpy texture so I don’t think they’re calcium deposits.