White Leghorn Egg Color

[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.

 

[Manhen]

Hmm. I know nothing of genetics. Might ask @ChickenCanoe. Depends what your goals are.

I should go to some official chicken describing web site... Goal is a sustainable flock that lays multicolored eggs. So leghorns, welsumers, dominiqes, blue americaunas (incubating), buff orpingtons (one of each now...hen was a shakey chick and she is wary of you but doesn't run until she has to), and blue laced red sebrings (incubating). 7 of 8 leghorns layed today, so collecting 6 a day for 4 days might do it. I am using a 28 egg incubator. Barn is dry now....haven't lost a bird in 10 months from inception.

 

[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?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

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?

Penedesencas and Empordanesas. Neither of which are recognized by the APA but they lay extremely dark eggs. There may be others that are not in the US that I'm not aware of.

 

[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.

 

[Manhen]

Penedesencas and Empordanesas. Neither of which are recognized by the APA but they lay extremely dark eggs. There may be others that are not in the US that I'm not aware of.

That sound Spanish, more Atlantean than Mediterrainian.

 

[Manhen]

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.

Cackle's web site indicates their own strain of leghorn. That implies there have been other breeds introduced at some point, so @ChickenCanoe is right likely.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That sound Spanish, more Atlantean than Mediterrainian.

To the best of my knowledge, all Spanish breeds are Mediterranean breeds, as are all Italian breeds. The regions of Emporda and Penedes are on the Mediterranean sea.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That sound Spanish, more Atlantean than Mediterrainian.

Spain is a Mediterranean country

 

[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.