Who is laying what?

[henmommy]

I am getting 4 eggs a day from my 17 hens in cold upstate..... I have 5 new girls I got this spring so I am thinking all but the white egg are coming from them. Do Silver Wyandotte's lay different color eggs than gold? I am getting a very large pale brown, pinkish egg, a med brown and dark brown egg almost daily. I also have a cuckcoo maran, australorp, and a cochin. The others are seasoned girl that often take the winter off.

 

[Ridgerunner]

According to Henderson's Breed Chart, Wyandottes can lay a light to rich brown egg.

In my limited experience, hatchery chickens lay sort of the color of egg the breed is supposed to lay, but the actual shade can vary quite a bit by the individual.

If they are hatchery chickens especially, I would not depend too much on the egg color to tell me who is laying. It is a decent indication but it is not absolute evidence. Hope that makes some sense.

 

[SpringChickens]

If you really want to know who is laying what, put a little food coloring on their vent. (Do one red, one green, etc.) It's a great way to know which egg came from which girl.

 

[henmommy]

Oh YEAH...I"m going to try that!