Who Laid These Eggs?

[kathleengp]

(I wasn't sure if this should go under Egglaying or What Breed is This? - lol)

The eggs in question are in the middle and on the lower right.

I have gotten 4-5 of these eggs now. They are never in a nest box that is elevated, always either in a ground nest box or just on the ground inside one of the ground-level coops (I have 3 very small coops, one on stairs). The egg in the middle is one of these eggs-in-question after it is washed (scrubbed with water and a scrubby sponge). The egg on the lower right is how it comes right out of the coop. It has a greasy grey film on it which is why I scrub these. After scrubbing they are a bit grey - more so than the pic shows. I have added full-sized chicken brown and white eggs as a reference.

Could this be from my one Cayuga duck? I also have Pekins but I think they are too young to lay yet and I would think their eggs would be bigger. I have a very mixed flock - RIR, RSL, SLW, Bantam Cochin, Silkie, Brown Leghorn, Delaware, Silver Leghorn, Cayuga duck, Pekin ducks and Ameraucanas. Oh and 2 guineas.

Any guesses on who is laying these?

Thank you!

 

[suzettex5]

No guesses on who laid them, but the 'greasy film' you are washing off is called the 'Bloom". It is a very improtant bio-protectant the hen adds to the egg as it is layed. It keeps germs out of the egg. You dont have to wash it off and it wont hurt you in any way. If ya just prefer to wash your eggs, go ahead, but the 'film' is not a bad thing, its a good thing!

 

[dandelionheart]

My computer screen shows these eggs as mostly shiny... are they still wet? I would *think* that if they were duck eggs you could tell...? But these look like the rest other than their color. Perhaps your Ameraucana is an EE... on my end the egg looks kinda grey/green.

Sorry to not be of more help.

 

[kathleengp]

Hmmm....Interesting. I have gotten eggs from the Ameraucanas (which certainly could be EEs as I bought from a local woman and not from a hatchery). Those 2 started last fall and both lay a turquoise color. I have only gotten a few of those since this laying season started, but no turquoise ones for a week now so perhaps this is a new EE color....

Yes, the eggs in the pic are wet. I rinsed off straw debris but did not scrub. And I do understand the point about bloom, but this is different than my regular chicken egg bloom, which dries very quickly and is not sticky or greasy feeling after it dries. This stuff feels greasy and scrubs off visibly. We've only eaten one - it seemed the same except for a slight oval shape to both the yolk and thick part of the white. My son ate it - he said it was good but tasted a bit different and left a bit of an aftertaste that he didn't care for. That could be psychological too - lol.

 

[dandelionheart]

Well, then maybe it *is* a duck egg! Duck meat is greasier, so it wouldn't be surprising if duck eggs had a different coating when laid... you may want to post over in another section to see if other duck people have similar egg issues... Our Georgia (EE) changed from an aqua colored egg to a sage colored egg.

But if the egg tasted weird, I'd think duck.

 

[Bring]

When I first saw them I thought duck! For sure the grey egg is from the Cayuga. They can get even darker.

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

I don't know if this is true with other ducks, but I've noticed that mine (Rouen and a few mutts) have eggs that are slightly 'smoother' than a chicken egg. The middle one does look like a duck egg, but I could be wrong.

 

[Bring]

Duck eggs feel "waxy". It doesn't wash off.

 

[kathleengp]

Ok looks like it's the Cayuga then! How cool - I incubated last year and only got one live hatch - since we only have one Cayuga, I could never tell the gender. Guess it's a she

After I scrub, it does still feel smooth and waxy. The dark color is how they all look upon collection. But the color is greasy and wipes off - not rinses off, but with wiping or scrubbing. I wash hers because she always lays in the messiest spots! My chicken eggs I do not wash - I just get out early and make sure nest boxes are clean. The only time I wash them is if someone laid with poopy/muddy feet and got some on the egg.

Cool! Thanks for the help

 

[jomercer]

I vote for the red sex link to be the mother of the great big brown egg in the top left corner.