Who would lay this?

[BackyardinWales]

I know my 2 matriarchs eggs, but I have 3 'yellow' birds with varying markings, who are coming in to lay apparently and I wondered if someone would know from this beauty what they might be. Being colour blind too, I'd love if they each lay a different colour lol.

 

[SueT]

Well does one of your new layers have a redder comb/wattles than the others?

 

[BackyardinWales]

Well does one of your new layers have a redder comb/wattles than the others?

I can't honestly say as I think all 3 might be laying. Just none of the youngsters laying regularly yet.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Pictures of the birds would help.

 

[LaFleche]

I know my 2 matriarchs eggs, but I have 3 'yellow' birds with varying markings, who are coming in to lay apparently and I wondered if someone would know from this beauty what they might be. Being colour blind too, I'd love if they each lay a different colour lol.

You can upload some pictures of your pullets for us to help determine which of your youngsters might be the one who laid this beautiful light green egg

 

[BackyardinWales]

I'd just been out to get some photos before I read the requests. They're not very flattering photos, but here goes.

Image 1 is Bobby, image 2 is Mary, and image 3 is Jay.

To me, they all look like the same redness, and the eggs have all been different weights. It has taken me several months to recognize the matriarchs eggs, so now it's a new puzzle lol.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Where did you get them? A hatchery, a feed store, or somewhere else? That might give us a clue. From your screen name I suspect you might not be in the US. If you are in Wales your definition of an Araucana is different from ours.

To me, those look like a backyard mix. It is very possible one or more have a blue egg layer somewhere in their ancestry. Some people have the incorrect idea that to lay a blue or green egg the chicken has to have a pea comb, muffs, tufts, or a beard. They do not. All they need is one copy of the blue eggshell gene. There is nothing about their appearance that is required for them to lay a blue or green egg.

All of them have a bright red comb so it could be any of them laying. You can try looking at their vent. If they are laying the vent should be large, pink, and moist. If they are not laying the vent will be dry and tight. The difference is usually pretty obvious. You might look at one of your older hens that you know is laying to get a baseline.

You can try putting different colored food dye in their vents to see if you can detect colors on the eggshell. This U-Tube might help you with that.

Who is laying what egg? - YouTube

I've also heard of putting lipstick on a chicken's vent to identify which egg she is laying but I am not going to explain to my wife why I'm putting lipstick on a hen's vent. Just not going there.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Yeah based off of those pictures I think you are going to have to vent check as said above or wait and see if you can catch whoever is laying. If one was a little more red and plump in the wattles that would make it easy, but by your pictures they all could be a possibility and the ones that are not laying should be very soon.

 

[LaFleche]

This article by @aart will help you determine who is laying:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[BackyardinWales]

I did manage to find out which of my girls gives me the blue eggs lol, so hoping to hatch one or two of her eggs whilst she's still fertile.

It is Mary. But I didn't use any tricks, just fruit ... patience!

A question though, her first egg was huge (to me ... 50 grams) but the ones since are max at 40 grams. Is this normal for them to change size?