White eggs...

[Wolfgang B.]

Hey guys, we had ISA Browns for years now and they have always layed solid colored brown eggs. In the past week we had 3 almost white, rather smallish eggs. Four hens are one year old, one hen is three years old.
Is that normal?

 

[Shadyfarms]

Mine have layed lighter colour eggs but not that light. Are the shells really thin? Sometimes mine lay some with powdered calcium on them that make them whiter, but that rinses off.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

No, generally it is not normal. While darker layers will lay a bit lighter at the end of the laying season compared to the start, a sudden significant shift in tone is not normal.

I would first isolate your 3 year old hen to determine if it is her. It could be aging egg duct or evidence of some other issue.

If it isn't her, I would try to figure out who it is.

Pale eggs from normally dark layers can indicate disease such as Infectious Bronchitis especially if the shell has a sand paper appearance.

LofMc

 

[aart]

Did they molt and take a break from laying over the winter?
Sometimes when they first start up laying again the 'spray booth' that applies the born coating may not be 'tuned in' yet.
Then again, ISA's are a high production bird, and susceptible to reproductive system malfunction after 2-3 years.

 

[Wolfgang B.]

Are the shells really thin?

They might be ever so slightly thinner, yes.

Pale eggs from normally dark layers can indicate disease such as Infectious Bronchitis especially if the shell has a sand paper appearance.

I will narrow it down who layed them. Luckily they're not like sand paper at all. Smooth as always...

Did they molt and take a break from laying over the winter?
Sometimes when they first start up laying again the 'spray booth' that applies the born coating may not be 'tuned in' yet.
Then again, ISA's are a high production bird, and susceptible to reproductive system malfunction after 2-3 years.

I really thought the older one stopped laying a while ago...maybe I was wrong.

They didn't really molt (at least there are never any feathers laying around). The past 2 winters our ISAs took small breaks from laying. This winter however, very mild, they're laying like crazy!