The Beneficial Bee: The Chicken Experiment Continued
I should go back to the beginning to tell this story correctly. Our chicken experiment started last fall when our hen Etta seemed determined to become a Mother. We drew a small X on four eggs, two blue and two brown. Glenn built Etta the most amazing birthing house where 21 days later, three chicks hatched. One egg completely disappeared. Two of those chicks turned into grey versions of their Plymouth Rock father, and one had unusual coloring (Clumsia). We figured Clumsia was half Ameraucana (a blue egg-laying chicken) because she had such interesting coloring. The other two chickens, one rooster and one hen, we thought were of the brown egg laying variety. We gave up hope of having new green eggs last weekend when our only hope, Clumsia, started crowing. On Tuesday Glenn went to collect the eggs and found the cutest little green egg- a tiny egg that only a teenager chicken would lay.
Our sweet (and slightly bland looking) hen Lupe is the new green egg layer. We spent most of the day waiting for her to lay an egg in order to confirm this information. Lupe’s eggs are almost exactly the same shade of green as our adult Ameraucana, as you can see in the above picture.
What a wonderful, unusual hen! Here is a picture of Otter watching Lupe. Otter loves hanging with the chickens too.
Well isn't that fun? How interesting that a chicken that looks like a Barred Rock would lay green eggs! It looks like she has a pea comb. I think this was a really cool experiment.
ReplyDeleteP.S. The more I look at your Barred Rocks, the more I think they're Dominiques!
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your chicken expertise! I think you're right. After looking at pictures of Barred Rocks, I realize Carlos has a completely different comb. How interesting. And he really does look more like the Dominique! Jess
I was going to say the same thing. She looks like a Dominique, because of her rose comb. How interesting that she lays green eggs.
ReplyDeleteMy bees come this Friday. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Is that normal?
Rhonda
When I used to buy egg shells to carve and deocorate I would leave the coloured shells in their natural colour. I had an awful time convincing people that the green coloured egg shell was natural. Boy, are people ever stuck on white eggs bought in the grocery stores!!! Green eggs are just too outside the box for them :)
ReplyDeleteRhonda, Congratulations! I think that is totally normal. Good luck with your bees!
ReplyDeleteBarbara,
Glenn and I were just talking about that yesterday. I had to convince him it was okay to eat brown eggs when we first started dating. :)
What lovely eggs. I really need to get some blue and green egg layers, just to mix things up a bit at our place! LOL :) Julia
ReplyDelete