Unsecure chicken perches

[Old Hazel]

Hi

We have two Marans and they have just started to lay which is very exciting (we're new chook keepers). We had expected dark brown eggs while these eggs are quite pale - more of a biscuit colour. Does this mean that our chickens are not Marans? Do eggs change colour or are we not feeding them right? I just wanted to check that everything was ok!

Hazel

[coco]

I have a young Welsummer who has been laying for 3/4 weeks. Its only been this last week that I have been getting lovely terracotta coloured eggs from her before that her eggs were very pale. I think it takes things a while to settle down when they first start to lay.

[Sue]

The first egg or three can be pale, but you can normally tell the colour of eggs they will lay by the time they have laid about 20

 

Unfortunately over the years people have tried to increase egg production by crossing with other breeds, and as the cuckoo gene is dominant the offspring come out looking pretty much like a Cuckoo Marans whatever its parentage was, but normally the egg colour is lost. Also breeders looking to show their birds are mainly interested in the feather patterning, colour of legs and ears, points on comb etc, and the egg laying side is ignored.

 

Pullets eggs are nearly always the darkest they will ever lay, as once laying becomes more regular (ie the eggs dont stay in the oviduct so long) they don't have time for so much "painting".

 

Genetics is the main factor in egg shell colour, but feeding, exercise ,fresh air, access to fresh green food, cleanliness of bedding and fresh water, freedom from pests and generally a stress free happy life will (amazingly) also affect egg colour.

 

All the best and good luck with them

Sue

Dark Brown Eggs

[Old Hazel]

Thanks very much Coco and Sue.

 

We are delighted our girls are now laying. So far each has been producing one a day - I guess we are up to about 10 each now. We've been giving them spinach and broccoli but they also get to free range in our garden each day for a couple of hours, We also have two araucanas. The breeder said they were the same age - do you know if araucanas usually lay when they are bit older. They don't have combs or wattles and so it is difficult to see the obvious signs of red.

 

Hazel