What color of eggs should I expect?

[twinmama]

I could just wait several more weeks to find out, but I'm curious. I have a pullet who hatched out of a white egg. She appears to be a leghorn or white rock cross, though I have no way of knowing what the cross was. She was a yellow chick with a few black dots. Now, she's almost entirely white with a few random black feathers, especially on her chest. Her frame is small, which is why I guess leghorn as the white influence. I'm just not sure if she could possibly lay brown eggs if one of her parents was a breed that lays brown eggs. So...what color of eggs should I expect when she starts laying? Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[sourland]

If she has white earlobes, she will lay white eggs. If her earlobes are red she will lay brown eggs - unless she carries EE blood.

 

[twinmama]

Thanks for responding! I'm going to check that when I go out in a bit. She's pretty shy and jumpy so it's hard to get close to her. She's 9 weeks old today, so I have a little while to wait for eggs, but I'm curious, as I don't know how the genetics work for egg color of crosses.

 

[Chickiee]

That is really interesting about ear color! I'm so glad I read your thread. I do have to ask... Do you house your hens and ducks together? I know it's a random question, but I'm trying to figure out how to keep the bedding dry when my 2 crazy water-loving ducks keep getting water everywhere from the waterer. Thanks!

 

[flewdacoop]

i agree with the ear lobe color except for ee's

 

[twinmama]

Chickiee - I have 2 chicken coops, 1 duck house, and an inside brooder at the moment, but no, my ducks aren't cooped with the chickens. They have a low duckhouse in a separate fenced yard for now. When I let everyone out of their runs to range in the evenings, they mingle together, but sleeping is definitely separate. That saves me on bedding, as I only have to change the duck house bedding weekly and the others monthly. My ducks do not have water or food overnight, so that helps keep it cleaner too.

 

[Chickiee]

Twinmama, this was extremely helpful! How much room in the duck house do you have for 5 ducks? How big is their outside area with the chickens? Don't know how far north you are in IL, so not sure how cold you get in winter, but do the ducks get their food/water outside only? Do they go in the snow? We're pretty new at this!

 

[twinmama]

The duck house is only about 10 square feet, as it's only used for sleeping, and they pile up anyway. I am working on a larger, more permanent house this summer so they can spend more time in it this winter if they need to. The ducks have the full run of the fenced backyard, which is around 60'x40' (very rough estimate) with a small plastic pool and a 30 gallon metal tub for swimming, drinking, & playing. The chickens have access to the front acre of my property, but generally stay in about half of that. I open the gate between the 2 areas when I'm out in the evenings. This is my first year with ducks, so we haven't gone through a winter yet, but if needed, I can run a ceramic heater or heat lamp to the duck house in extreme temperatures. I'm about 2 hours directly south of Chicago, and we do occasionally have issues with wind chills down to -10 to -20, but only a couple times each winter. Hope that's not too much info!

 

[twinmama]

As for the ear lobes of my white pullet, they appear pinkish white, but I honestly am not sure. I can't catch this chick without a lot of running around like a fool or using a net, which totally stresses her out. Since I don't want to make her more afraid of me, I'm trying to avoid that! I'm going with the assumption that she'll lay white eggs, but I'll know for sure within a couple more months.

 

[Chickiee]

Thank u, thank u Twinmama! Great info! Ok, so I need to check out some duck house designs AND look at some earlobes!