Tuesday 23 November 2010

Pullet Eggs

This year's pullets are steadily coming into lay. The Exchequer Leghorns started to produce at 22 weeks old and lay most days. For a small bird their eggs are a good size and will get bigger as the birds get older.
At 30 weeks old the Welsummers were a little later than the Exchequer Leghorns but from the start the size of their eggs have amazed me.

Photo: Pullet eggs: White -Exchequer Leghorn; Tinted/cream - Indian Game cross breeds; Brown - Welsummer


 I am hoping to breed from the Gold Duckwing Welsummers and will keep a record of each of the birds in the aim of producing a healthy, strong egg laying line. As I only have a small flock and each bird lays slightly different coloured eggs I should soon be able to differentiate between them without trap nesting. However I think the birds have already cottoned on and are sabotaging my plans. They enter the nest box two at a time but only one lays, they then both come out calling with pride. It may take a little longer than I first thought.

Photo: Welsummer pullet eggs. (so much darker than they appear in the photo)

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2 comments:

  1. DevonMaid23 November 2010 at 11:11

    At 36 weeks my Welsummers still aren't laying! I do have the occasional egg of a different hue - rather a purpley brown, but unspeckled - and I had thought one of them might be laying from time to time ... but after seeing your picture I'm not at all sure!

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  2. Sandra23 November 2010 at 12:27

    It could well be a Welsummer egg, the colours vary tremendously. One of my previous hens laid an egg with a purple hue.

    Good luck with yours laying soon !

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