Hen laying cracked eggs?

[mamatoes]

This hens eggs have been blotchy and veiny for a while but this is new! They're so big and round! I'm worried it's going to crack coming out!!!

Advice?

They're on layer feed and get oyster shells.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some hens lay wonky eggs. You can't do anything about it. Are you sure they aren't cracking as they hit the nestboxes? Make sure they are well bedded as the hen stands up to push the egg out. Is it an older hen?

 

[Folly's place]

Is this an older hen? Mary

 

[mamatoes]

No

Is this an older hen?  Mary

no! Not even a year! Been laying maybe all winter.

 

[HeavensHens88]

No

Is this an older hen?  Mary

no! Not even a year! Been laying maybe all winter.

Very odd. Are you certain it's just coming from one certain chicken? And are you sure the eggs couldn't just keep becoming cracked from freezing in the cold?

We see this a lot with elderly hens that are slowing down with their production, but this is a new enigma for me in a young hen!
Sorry I don't have more expansive knowledge on this particular condition!
~Sarah

 

[mamatoes]

im sure its the same hen, always same color and shape with an odd discoloring around widest part, but this is the first time its been all cracked like that, and then its like it healed inside! so weird! i just want her to be safe!

yesterday was not cold at all! 15c so its not the cold, tons of bedding, not cracking when coming out. so so weird

 

[aart]

Is the shell thin?

They can crack during the shelling process then be 'covered' with more shell.
Can happen due to drastic physical trauma (big hard fall) or be a malfunction of the shelling gland.

Any other of your birds doing this?
If not, it's just that individual bird has a faulty system or maybe an infection.
If one breaks inside it could cause severe or fatal illness.
I'd seriously consider culling her.

 

[mamatoes]

wow really?! this was my fear! that its dangerous to her! yikes. do you think waiting it out is an ok alternative too? id rather not cull unless i was in a critical situation. thanks for all the help!

 

[HeavensHens88]

Have you witnessed her actually EATING the oyster shell you offer?? I had a hen who hated that stuff so much she never ate it in a day of her life and her shells ALWAYS looked like that....
And if you have seen her eating it, I agree with aart totally. But if you don't want to cull her, it's most likely something she's going have to live with either her entire life or until she develops some sort of egg-withholding condition (egg-binding). If she survives an eventual egg-binding or egg-cracking-within-her-oviduct episode from the egg being too thin to pass, she most likely may never lay again...

Best of luck!
~Sarah

 

[mamatoes]

blah! this is horrible! poor chicky! i dont even know which one is laying the wonker! its been so cold and ive been busy with my kids im not sure who lays what yet. I'll play detective and see if i can see who it is. poor chicken