Left: Buff Orpington or SL Wyandotte egg; Top Right: Polish egg; Splash Australorp.
Bottom Right: ........?
Hi, Everyone!
Well, I'm thoroughly confused now!!
I have a couple of pretend eggs under my Splash Australorp whom I placed a definitely fertile single 14day Polish egg under her about 4 days ago because it appeared to be the only one that was developing properly at the recommended time in my incubator. There had been a couple of these Interstate purchased eggs from the same batch that had leaked and, fortunately, I removed them before they exploded. The others were still in the "vein only" stage at 14days old (strange!) so I thought that the single egg may stand a better chance under "Happy", my broody Splash Australorp.
The last couple of days, I noticed that some of my Standard Hens, like my Buff Orpington, "Orpa", had pushed herself in with "Happy" and had probably laid her egg there. So, today, after I noticed "Orpa" was no longer in the nest, as usual, I pulled "Happy" out forcing her to have a break, stretch, feed and water, whilst I checked to see what eggs had been laid. Besides a small container of food and water beside her in her nest box, she also gets a vitamin tablet once a day to assist with her lack of appetite. Anyway, to my amazement, there was a pure White long large egg amongst the eggs!
OK! Just for the record, I will be cordoning off a little area for her when & if this little one hatches but, meanwhile, where did this White long egg come from? I only have 3 other Standard Hens in the same run with Happy at the moment:
a) A Wyandotte/Marans-X (Just over 4yrs old): "Monet" lays medium beige coloured eggs with uneven brown speckles scattered on her eggs;
b) A Buff Orpington (1yr 2mths old): "Orpa" lays slightly stocky beige to dark beige coloured eggs with a slight shine;
c) A Silver Laced Wyandotte (1yr 8.5mths old): "Lacy" lays beige coloured eggs with a slight shine;
So, this long White egg does not match any of these breeds that I have in that run! 2 days ago, I did have a Dark Barred 3yr old Plymouth Rock who I, very sadly, had to put down due to her insistant egg eating (did try various means to counter her behaviour for nearly 2 mths but to no avail!). But, even so, I don't think I've ever known her to lay a White one! Long, yes. But not White! The other part of this puzzle is that even if this egg was hiding in the straw bedding and had been deposited by my DB Plymouth Rock, surely it wouldn't be so clean?! Or would it if it was completely hidden under the straw? It's spotless! Also, I checked under Orpa again a short while ago and discovered another egg from Lacy. That's two on the same day! Unless it's Orpa's but she's normally lays really chubby eggs! Neverthess, it's not as big a mystery as this long White egg!
Could my DB Plymouth Rock have laid this White egg? I have no Polish Hens in this run and no Polish Hens in the other side either. Plus it's too large to be a Polish egg! The two beige eggs were 54 & 53gms. The photo is of the 54gms egg and the long White egg. I haven't weighed the White egg as it's still under Happy whilst I try to figure out where it came from!
Anyone have any thoughts on this mystery? Is my assumption that my DB Plymouth Rock may be the culprit. (Maybe she had an inner supernatural suspicion that she was about to be culled! Thus turning her egg White! .......... Doo doo doo doo!......... Doo doo doo doo!.........
A very puzzled ChickyChooky!
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