Chicken laying different color eggs.

[nuthatched]

The blue is likely from another bird.

 

[The Easter Egger Club]

Yes! I have Easter Eggers, who lay only blue eggs

 

[JessesGirl91016]

I have a blue Olive Egger laying olive eggs I thought. I found a blue egg in her nest today! Does anyone else have a chicken that lays different egg colors? I know it’s her because the others are Marans that lay brown eggs.

I have a blue Olive Egger laying olive eggs I thought. I found a blue egg in her nest today! Does anyone else have a chicken that lays different egg colors? I know it’s her because the others are Marans that lay brown eggs.

I

The base color is either blue or white. That's genetics. If a certain gene is present the shell is the same base blue through the thickness. If that gene is not present then the shell is white through its thickness because it defaults to the color of the materials that make the shell, which is white. Of course there is an exception, there is almost aways an exception in chicken genetics to make it more complicated. There is one specific gene that colors the thickness of the shell to a light tint, not pure white.

If there is brown it is applied during the last half hour or so in the shell gland. There are a lot of different genes that can affect the brown, that's why you can get so many different shades. A brown egg is one that the brown pigment is applied on top of a white egg. Green is brown pigment applied on top of a blue egg. If you open an egg and remove that film layer underneath you can see the base color.

Breeds are manmade. The people that designed the breed determined what color and shade of egg they wanted the breed to lay. If the breeder that selects which chickens get to breed uses eggshell color as a criteria then a specific breed should lay a specific color and shade. But not all breeders use eggshell color as a criteria. If the don't then you can get varying colors and especially shades from the same breed. That confuses a lot of people on this forum.

There is no genetic link of earlobe color and eggshell color. Again, whoever designed the breed determined what it would be. As long as the breeder uses that as a criteria you should get what you should.

In general, most eggshell colors do coincide with earlobe color. Mediterranean breeds tend to lay white eggs and have white earlobes. Brown egg layers tend to have red earlobes. That leads people to believe there is a genetic link between the two. But there are a few breeds where that is not true. For example, a Pendesenca lays a very dark brown egg and has white earlobes. A Pheonix lays a white egg but has red earlobes. There are other examples. And if you cross breeds with different eggshell colors and earlobe colors you can get various results. Earlobe colors often do not follow eggshell colors.

WOW! That was a ton of great info. Thanks so much for taking the time to write that. I just learned a lot!

 

[JessesGirl91016]

I have a blue Olive Egger laying olive eggs I thought. I found a blue egg in her nest today! Does anyone else have a chicken that lays different egg colors? I know it’s her because the others are Marans that lay brown eggs.

Whatever is going on, somebody is laying some beauties! Such deep color!! Sometimes it’s hard to tell my blues from my greens.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

my chickens don't laying eggs, why?

What feed do you give them?
What breeds are they?
Chickens don’t lay as many eggs due to shorter daylight hours, so that could be why.

 

[RennaeHanson]

my chickens don't laying eggs, why?

Are you sure they are hens? If so then how old are they?

 

[BackyardinWales]

My 'moulter' hen has yet to start laying again, but my other four seem to be laying, albeit not daily yet cause the days are short. Except the other day I got 4 eggs, cause apparently I left their light on! Oops!

 

[aart]

Except the other day I got 4 eggs, cause apparently I left their light on! Oops!

It takes more than one day of extended light to stimulate the eggs laying system.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I know it is just the bloom and I had a hen that laid dark eggs but one time laid a purple.

 

[Paz]

I have a Marans mix who sometimes lays grayish purple eggs