my barred rocks are laying differently colored eggs. Why?

[Soot the silkie]

My barred rocks, young girls coming into lay have been laying me two different colored eggs. I know they are the ones laying them because they are my only two chickens. The pictures of them are in the same order of the eggs, the tan egg being from the slightly smaller chicken. Is it some deficiency in their diet, or is it just they are not breed standard of perfection? I did not think barred rocks layed brown eggs.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

My barred rocks, young girls coming into lay have been laying me two different colored eggs. I know they are the ones laying them because they are my only two chickens. The pictures of them are in the same order of the eggs, the tan egg being from the slightly smaller chicken. Is it some deficiency in their diet, or is it just they are not breed standard of perfection? I did not think barred rocks layed brown eggs.

Google how to tell if a chicken is currently laying or perhaps how long she will lay before she takes a break. Eggshell color is a very very transient thing. Shell color is laid down the last 30 to 60 minutes before the egg is laid. Shell color or more properly eggshell SHADE is also determined by how much color pigment the hen currently has in her system and not by any other factor. Not to make light of the situation but maybe the smaller of your two hen has been sick.

The real fact is that both eggs are the same color only the shade or intensity of that color is different.

 

[StephensonC]

Sorry I can't be of much help, but, I can tell you that my Barred Rocks eggs were the same shade of brown as your egg pictured on the right.

 

[Peep1234]

Hello, all chickens have differently shaded eggs, same breed or not. I have three RIR,s and each have a different shade of egg.

 

[Soot the silkie]

Ok thanks! I worry too much about my chickens. I only have two so I'm really afraid of them getting sick.

 

[krista74]

Completely normal. My 6 RIR girls all lay brown eggs, but in differing shades. I think your girls are perfectly fine - they certainly look healthy and happy!

- Krista

 

[Peep1234]

Beautiful girls by the way

 

[CB3fish]

I thinkthe answer is in their parentage so to speak; it would depend maybe on which rooster was part of their genes. I have looked at the development of Rhode Island reds and they were in the beginning a mix of different breeds and how they were bred in Rhode Island and ended up red is a mystery.

 

[Soot the silkie]

Ok like I said I worry too much. One of my girls did scream while she was laying her egg today and it scared me so much because I thought she was egg bound but her egg came out perfectly fine. I'm still a bit worried though. Was she just having a hard time squeezing it out?

 

[krista74]

Ok like I said I worry too much. One of my girls did scream while she was laying her egg today and it scared me so much because I thought she was egg bound but her egg came out perfectly fine. I'm still a bit worried though. Was she just having a hard time squeezing it out?

Yep, I would say so.

I have one girl who makes a straining noise, she pushes so hard!

Another one I have coos like a pigeon!

They are all different. I suspect the screaming is her version of normal egg laying.

- Krista