Suddenly a different egg colour?

Photo: Marcel Berendsen

Ask yourself the following questions:  What do I see?   What does it mean?   What should I do?

This is Practical guide to improving egg quality

• LOOK: You see a variation of colours in the trays from the same flock.

• THINK: There could be a lot of causes for pale shells, but if it happens with the whole flock at once, it could be caused by coccidiostats (nicarbazin) in the feed.

• ACT: Look at all factors influencing shell colour: disease, age, stress, parasites. But also sunlight has an effect. Eggs from hens with an outdoor run often have an paler appearance that indoor kept hens of the same strain.