White Leghorn Egg Color

[KatieG509]

Hello! Just a random question- do white leghorns ever lay brown eggs?We have a 25-ish week old leghorn, who I thought would lay white ones, but we haven’t seen any white eggs yet. Instead, I’m getting a small brown egg that is either coming from her or one of our Australorps who hasn’t laid an egg in like 8 months.

Thanks!

 

[The Moonshiner]

No a leghorn will never lay brown eggs.
If its laying brown eggs it isn't a leghorn.

 

[sourland]

Can you post a picture of the white bird ?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Leghorns, regardless of variety, will only lay a white egg, as do most Mediterranean class breeds.

I'm disturbed when people mix breeds. Then you have no idea what you'll get. It is hard enough to continue these great breeds without someone throwing a wrench in the works.

 

[Acre4Me]

We had dark brown Leghorns that took FOREVER to lay. The first one laid an egg around 36 weeks, then around 44 weeks, the the third girl hadn’t started laying yet when we sold them at 45 weeks, and they were hatched in Feb, so had plenty of light. But, Leghorns only lay white eggs.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So, @ChickenCanoe, based on the fact that one of my BL gives me an off-white egg, does this indicate she is just poor quality, perhaps from inbreeding or cross breeding? Or could it be a health issue? I have learned that hatchery stock may not always be as good quality as one might expect to get from a reputable breeder, so it won't hurt my feelings if this is the case. I don't breed or hatch, I have chickens for tick control, eggs and just for the joy of having them. Thanks.

Not inbred but crossbred. All Leghorns should lay a pearl white egg. Virtually all the commercially produced white grocery eggs in the world are from a Leghorn or Leghorn hybrid.
Other varieties of Leghorns are Dark Brown, Light Brown, Buff, Black, Silver, Red, Black-Tailed Red, Columbian. There are others yet the white leghorn is the most prolific but regardless of variety, they will still lay a white egg.
I raised both whites and blacks. I think they are great chickens.

 

[nicalandia]

There are strains of White Leghorns and Ancona lines that lay tinted eggs, you see pearl white eggs do require some form of dilution genes that on some strains are either damaged or mutated to a less effective dilution.

here is an old science research about it.
Inheritance of Tinted Eggshell Colors in White-Shell Stocks
https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...6ec1338&pid=1-s2.0-S003257911933528X-main.pdf

 

[cmfarm]

Unless it is a mix it won't lay a brown egg.

 

[Manhen]

Leghorns, regardless of variety, will only lay a white egg, as do most Mediterranean class breeds.

I'm disturbed when people mix breeds. Then you have no idea what you'll get. It is hard enough to continue these great breeds without someone throwing a wrench in the works.

My barn is 2000 sq ft of chicken separating coops and potential coops with each having a run access. Which mediteranian breeds don't lay white?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So, @ChickenCanoe, based on the fact that one of my BL gives me an off-white egg, does this indicate she is just poor quality, perhaps from inbreeding or cross breeding? Or could it be a health issue? I have learned that hatchery stock may not always be as good quality as one might expect to get from a reputable breeder, so it won't hurt my feelings if this is the case. I don't breed or hatch, I have chickens for tick control, eggs and just for the joy of having them. Thanks.