# egg coloration



## Barbara Blackwell (Nov 5, 2019)

I have had chickens for years & years ,from incubating to eggs to butchering.Rigt now I haveabout 20 cinnamon queen hens & about 8 older mixed breed hens All my eggs except 2 are brown eggs & 2 white eggs.When I gathered eggs today I assumed that 1 of my white egg layers(an older hen) had just stopped laying,no big surprise.The surprise came when I washed the eggs.All went as usual until the 4th egg,then (Surprise)the beautiful brown color came off to reveal my other white as snow egg!I have never had this occur before although I have probably washed over 1000 eggs in my life.Has anyone else ever experieced this?Can anyone explain to me what might have happened?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Someone just mentioned this to me a couple weeks ago. He said that the egg was blue or green, can't remember which, until his wife rinsed it off and the color went with the water. 

I do know something about this but it's buried pretty deep into my brain. It has something to do with the color actually just being the bloom of the egg. I think I need to do some digging before I lead you way off base.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Chickens that lay brown tinted eggs deposit the pigment protoporphyrin on the eggs late in the process of forming the shell. from MSU extension. 

But now I'm wondering if he said the egg was brown because MSU says other color eggs are through and through the shell.


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## Barbara Blackwell (Nov 5, 2019)

robin416 said:


> Someone just mentioned this to me a couple weeks ago. He said that the egg was blue or green, can't remember which, until his wife rinsed it off and the color went with the water.
> 
> I do know something about this but it's buried pretty deep into my brain. It has something to do with the color actually just being the bloom of the egg. I think I need to do some digging before I lead you way off base.


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## Barbara Blackwell (Nov 5, 2019)

Thanks for the input.I had NEVER run into this before.Don't know if this has anything to do with the color but either this hen or the other white egg layer sometimes lays an egg that doesn't have a shell(or the shell never hardens when air hits it) Not for sure that it was the same hen that laid the "wash off" egg but only have 2 that lay white eggs


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

From what I read it's a brown egg layer that laid that egg. 

How often do you get an egg without a shell? It might be that someone is getting ready to molt, or stopping during the shorter months of Winter. If you see it during egg laying season then it's time to find out who it is because it could mean trouble for her. 

Eggs don't harden after they're laid. It's the last process for egg production and the egg should be solid as she lays it.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I have a cayuga duck that used to lay black eggs, black as tar but the color would easily scratch off and it was white underneath. As she has aged, the eggs are more...gray? dirty looking and the color doesn't scratch off now. It never simply washed off but you could scratch it off with your fingernail or their toenails would do it too.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Toenails?


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

yes, ducks have toenails like chickens do but they don't grow long like chickens, I've never had to deal with the ducks toenails.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Since you were talking about scratching it off with your fingernail and then mention toenails. Well, you know why I was confused.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

lol yeah I see where the confusion was, I worded it weird, I'm sorry


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I missed the word "their" on that last line. Oh well, it was fun trying to figure out how your toenails came into play scratching the color off the eggs.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

omg lol I have a bit of a sore throat tonight so my voice isn't normal and when I read your message I started to laugh this weird sounding laugh, it reminded me of Muttley, do you remember him? the cartoon dog from Hanna Barbera's show Wacky Races? My cat even looked at me funny!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I sure hope you're not getting the crud. I just got over it, miserable few days. But at least I made you laugh.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I do feel like I may be getting a cold but I'm already on it with some nice teas and herbs  I'll be fine


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