Ex-batts shell colour

[sheena]

I'm puzzled... I know lots of different breeds have different colour eggs, but ex-batts having very white (chalk coloured) eggs?

Is there something wrong with the chook's?
Reason I ask is that it's the 4 new girl's I picked up for a friend 2 weeks ago, but when my friend was telling me about the egg's all go normal colour after being in the fridge for a while - i thought nothing of it, and thought she was going bonkers.
Anyhow, I asked her to show me the egg's that she had, and they were very white, and if they had been bigger I probably would of mistaken them for duck eggs!

She had also mentioned that she had been only getting 1 or 2 eggs a day from the 4 girl's, which I thought might be down to settling in. It still hasn't improved, some days she don't get any.

They have a good size run with lots of greenery and what's left of the grass that was in there. Fed on layers pellets, have mixed grit... and water available constantly.

The other thing, their poo is enormous... for a chicken anyway. If I didn't know any better I would of said it was a small dog's.
Occasionally it's partially yellow (what I refer to as an eggy-poo), I don't know if this is normal or not, but i've never had any problems from my girl's like that. Yet I got all of them from the BHWT, not sure if they came from the same battery farm as they were collected on different days (a month apart).

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[HayleyB]

Nowt to worry about our lot lay from dark brown (some with flecks) through all variations of lightness to a couple that lay practically white eggs. I 'present' these 'whites' in a box with the brownest eggs to accentuate the colour, my customers love 'em...

Poos come in all sizes and all colours/runniness. Serious runs show as what we call dirty knickers and if they have those then it is of concern.

[RedThorn]

From Pale cream through to nice rich brown... sometimes on the same egg

[Suechooks]

They need time to settle in too, which is probably why they're not laying a lot. It's VERY stressful for them coming out of cages. Although we know its going to be great they have never known any other way of life. The BHWT reckon 40-50% laying is about average. They have been rejected from the cages as they're past their best. Their eggs go paler when they're going off lay too - their ink cartridge runs out! It'll recharge while they rest!

[sheena]

Thanks for the reassurance, at least i'm forewarned now about my own and will pass the advice on to her too. So glad they are ok.

[Glutton4...]

[QUOTE=Suechooks;446416...The BHWT reckon 40-50% laying is about average. They have been rejected from the cages as they're past their best. Their eggs go paler when they're going off lay too - their ink cartridge runs out! It'll recharge while they rest![/QUOTE]

My ex Batts and ex Rangers lay well over the 50 per cent, but it's interesting to hear about the paler eggs (ink cartridges lol ).

My Batties lay mid to dark-ish eggs, some pale at one end, darker at the other. The ex Free Rangers lay much paler eggs, one lays almost transparent shells (clever!). Add my Parents' four Marans (3 now in lay), and I've got just about every shade of white/cream/beige/coffee/brown there is!

AND, they all taste soooooooooo scrummy!

[Hans Mum]

i got my laydees at the begining of Feb this year and only this past couple of weeks have all 8 been laying every day, and the shell colour ranges from darkish brown to very pale coffee coloured so I wouldnt worry its still early days yet....and as for poo they put our dog to shame in size and quantity

[Suechooks]

I agree Glutton, my ex-batts were laying last year at the rate of about 90-95%. However this year they are definitely resting between eggagements! I feel they deserve their R&R!