color blue

[cedarpondfarm]

\" Blue eggsehell color may be influenced by the rate of lay.  The chemical that colors the blue eggshell is a compound synthesized by the liver.  If that synthesis is slow, a high rate of lay may mean that lesser amounts of that color is available for each individual egg.  The rate of lay might be a trait that works against the blue eggshell color \"

\" Another part of the blue egg production is that the blue porphyrin is throughout the shell and therefore must be continuously added as the shell forms, not just at the end when the shell is already complete as with brown coloring.  So if there is a limited supply of the blue eggshell pigment (due to rate of synthesis limitations), a high rate of lay could result in lighter eggshell.\"

This is a quote from Jill Bowes at Kintaline Poultry and Waterfowl Center.

She said \"if that synthesis is slow\".  Is there a way to change slow synthesis and increase the blue eggshell pigment so the egg color would fade less if and when I can breed higher rate of lay and larger eggs into my flock ?

[John]

Is there a way to change slow synthesis and increase the blue eggshell pigment so the egg color would fade less if and when I can breed higher rate of lay

Not that I can think of.  Maybe certain mineral additives to the diet would artificially change the egg color.
I have my birds on 16 hours of light per day.  The rate of lay is way up and I believe the shell color of the eggs is lighter of the birds that lay an egg a day (brown and blue egg layers).  The longer it takes to lay an egg the darker it will be generally.

[cedarpondfarm]

I have noticed that even though the eggs are mostly the same shade of blue on the outside, a few are much darker on the inside of the shell.  Is the inside color the first to form or the last?  Does the inside color fade at the same rate as the exterior color?

I know eggshell color is not as important as productivity, but I think my future customers with home flocks would care about it.

 

[John]

We know that the color of the eggs coming from a hen vary with age, rate of laying and whatever.  Here is one that is as close to the Robin\'s egg blue that some dream about that I\'ve seen.

[Jess]

Evening,
Now this is interesting infomation.
Thanks
Jess

[Mike Gilbert]

John, have you identified the individual that lays the robin\'s egg blue egg?   Which variety?    If she is good otherwise, it might be interesting to breed one of her sons back to her to see if this color can be perpetuated, or even her sire if you still have him.

[John]

I meant to mention it was from my LF lavender coop.  There are 15 pullets/hens in there.  A couple of the pullets are black/lavender split.  I assume it is the first egg of a pullet and I won\'t see anymore quite that color from her again, but time will tell.

[Mike Gilbert]

Do you have any food coloring?   I personally would not be caught dead doing that, but for some it has worked.  But then I know each of my chickens on an individual basis by sight, and don\'t need legbands or other means of identification, so have never experienced the need.  It\'s not difficult to tell when a hen or pullet is laying, so I just put them in an individual cage to find out what kind/color of egg they lay if I need to know.

[greeneggsandham]

That\'s a big egg for a pullet.  Compared to the other two.

[John]

I\'m just guessing that it is from a pullet and actually I think due to the size it may be from one of the two \"split\" pullets, because they are extra big.  
I picked up a really big black pullet at the Frankfort show from Bob Rennolet and have crossed her to several varieties here just to increase size.  Except for her size she is nothing to right home about and her eggs were green.  She is the mama to the two black split girls.  FYI, her daughters that are from black and silver cocks are laying large blue eggs (they are in individual breeding coops, so I know for sure).  
I don\'t have the ambition to figure out which one laid the egg in photo at this time and will let you know if I get another like it.