[Andrew4613]

How can I find out (without putting a hidden camera in the coop) which hen lays which egg?
I have a bovans nera, a speckled hen a Sussex star and 3 warrens - will the eggs from certain breeds look different?

Currently getting two to three eggs a day and it's their first year of laying for all the girls and the eggs vary in colour and shell size.

Thankyou

Andy

[Kate and her Ducks]

You can usually find out by googling the breed society/description which usually state the egg colour if they are different.
Alternatively you need trap nest boxes. These close when the hen enters so you always know who lays what.

[grinling]

I found hen watching helped. Who goes in and what is left when they leave.

[SMS6]

Yep - we had to do a lot of watching when we first had ours.  Unfortunately none of them really announce an egg these days but they did used to when we first had them.

We used to just keep our eys out for who went in the nest box for any length of time and then check when they reappeared until we know who layed what.

We are lucky though because our 4 all lay very different eggs - as I just posted elsewhere

[Suzybat]

I have got a Ip camera in my coop, so can watch what is going on, its interesting watching them lay, I have one hen who is always in attendance when the others are laying and she inspects the eggs after!!

[darkbrowneggs]

I like the idea of a camera, otherwise as SMS6 says - get hens that lay different coloured eggs

[OpiumEater]

Knowing which egg colour your breed should lay is a good idea, except I have a new Dorking who I think is laying, but it's not white as the last Dorking was, more cream like my Australorp.

Now it could be my Australorp, but knowing what an appalling layer she is, I doubt it's her. The Legbar is laying a beautiful blue/green egg and the Barnevelder lays a dark one when she can be bothered, which isn't this year yet.

Hence I only have two egg colours but four hens 

[Suzybat]

The blue egg looks different, I have a Norfolk grey that has stopped laying, she had only been laying a few weeks, dont think she likes the cold, they are supposed to lay a few double yolkers but not had one yet, my silver pekin layed her second egg today and wathing her on the camera my heart went out to her, its a bit of a business!!

[joyfull]

don't wish for double yolkers as they are not good for the hen. They are generally bigger so risk getting stuck or breaking. Plus they are using up 2 yolks in one go which means their egg supply is being used quicker - all hens are hatched with their total amount of yolks (they are on what looks like a ribbon) and they don't get any more once they have all been used up  

All hens that lay blue or blue/green eggs have some araucana in their genes  

[Spana]

I've never tried this but i did read somewhere that you can find out whos laying what by putting a little smear of different coloured food colouring paste on the vent of each hen.
You would only need to do it the once.
Just make sure you make a note of which hen has been done with which colour and might be a good idea to make a photographic record of the result for the future.