Welsummer odd egg color

[BBQ2U]

I have some Welsummer hens (they will be a year old the end of this month) and one of the 9 lays this odd light colored egg. She has always laid this color of egg. The eggs also always have a rougher texture especially on the smaller end of them. All the other hens lay a dark colored egg (as seen in pictures). The eggs this hen lays that are light are also smaller. They are generally in the small - medium scale while the others are usually in the medium to large size. She did have 2 eggs this week that were thin shelled and one of the other hens broke them when they stepped on them getting into the nesting box. So I added a laying hen vitamin to their water on Tuesday hoping it would help. Today she laid this egg which was definitely stronger. I feed them their egg shells and they have all the oyster shell they could want (although they generally won't eat them and would prefer their egg shells I put out there). She isn't sick, acts completely normal. Is there something more that I could be doing to help her - I imagine it isn't fun to lay a rough egg every time.

I have some Welsummer hens (they will be a year old the end of this month) and one of the 9 lays this odd light colored egg. She has always laid this color of egg. The eggs also always have a rougher texture especially on the smaller end of them. All the other hens lay a dark colored egg (as seen in pictures). The eggs this hen lays that are light are also smaller. They are generally in the small - medium scale while the others are usually in the medium to large size. She did have 2 eggs this week that were thin shelled and one of the other hens broke them when they stepped on them getting into the nesting box. So I added a laying hen vitamin to their water on Tuesday hoping it would help. Today she laid this egg which was definitely stronger. I feed them their egg shells and they have all the oyster shell they could want (although they generally won't eat them and would prefer their egg shells I put out there). She isn't sick, acts completely normal. Is there something more that I could be doing to help her - I imagine it isn't fun to lay a rough egg every time.

I too am dealing with an odd egg pigmentation. One of our hens consistently lays a light brown egg with what appears to be a dark off color at the round end and just a little rough, not much.

We have not noticed any illness, odd behavior, or disease in any of our hens. We feed them oyster shells by itself. In frigid temps, at night, we hand feed them extra cracked corn. On occasion we scramble eggs for them. Right now we are adding to their feed a prophylactic All Natural Dewormer, and Poultry Booster supplement as they are beginning to molt. Soon we will be giving the coop a thorough cleaning using Elector PSP, and put down fresh bedding. We do all this because they cannot be free range. The are "cage free".

I check all their vents regularly as they are lap chickens. I see no signs of swelling, or injury. So, I figure, it's a fluke of this particular hens reproductive tract. My Avatar is a pic of our Road Island Red we lost back in February. She died from egg binding. We had her inside for 5 days trying our best to help her "deliver". So, now I'm a bit anxious when I see anything out of normal, like this egg. All we can do is keep an eye out and do what you are doing, watch and wait.

 

[ChicFil- A]

I have some Welsummer hens (they will be a year old the end of this month) and one of the 9 lays this odd light colored egg. She has always laid this color of egg. The eggs also always have a rougher texture especially on the smaller end of them. All the other hens lay a dark colored egg (as seen in pictures). The eggs this hen lays that are light are also smaller. They are generally in the small - medium scale while the others are usually in the medium to large size. She did have 2 eggs this week that were thin shelled and one of the other hens broke them when they stepped on them getting into the nesting box. So I added a laying hen vitamin to their water on Tuesday hoping it would help. Today she laid this egg which was definitely stronger. I feed them their egg shells and they have all the oyster shell they could want (although they generally won't eat them and would prefer their egg shells I put out there). She isn't sick, acts completely normal. Is there something more that I could be doing to help her - I imagine it isn't fun to lay a rough egg every time.

i’ve read that if the chickens need more water or better different nutrition… also some eggs will get lost in the bedding

 

[amberlkuntz]

I too am dealing with an odd egg pigmentation. One of our hens consistently lays a light brown egg with what appears to be a dark off color at the round end and just a little rough, not much.

We have not noticed any illness, odd behavior, or disease in any of our hens. We feed them oyster shells by itself. In frigid temps, at night, we hand feed them extra cracked corn. On occasion we scramble eggs for them. Right now we are adding to their feed a prophylactic All Natural Dewormer, and Poultry Booster supplement as they are beginning to molt. Soon we will be giving the coop a thorough cleaning using Elector PSP, and put down fresh bedding. We do all this because they cannot be free range. The are "cage free".

I check all their vents regularly as they are lap chickens. I see no signs of swelling, or injury. So, I figure, it's a fluke of this particular hens reproductive tract. My Avatar is a pic of our Road Island Red we lost back in February. She died from egg binding. We had her inside for 5 days trying our best to help her "deliver". So, now I'm a bit anxious when I see anything out of normal, like this egg. All we can do is keep an eye out and do what you are doing, watch and wait.

That looks just like the eggs we have been getting from one of our hens. It is weird. I have tried the booster and such and no great amazing results so I have resorted to it is just how she is. Her eggs are always on the small to medium size while the others the same breed and age are always large to x-large so I just don't sell them, just keep hers for ourselves.

 

[Perris]

I too am dealing with an odd egg pigmentation. One of our hens consistently lays a light brown egg with what appears to be a dark off color at the round end and just a little rough, not much.

We have not noticed any illness, odd behavior, or disease in any of our hens. We feed them oyster shells by itself. In frigid temps, at night, we hand feed them extra cracked corn. On occasion we scramble eggs for them. Right now we are adding to their feed a prophylactic All Natural Dewormer, and Poultry Booster supplement as they are beginning to molt. Soon we will be giving the coop a thorough cleaning using Elector PSP, and put down fresh bedding. We do all this because they cannot be free range. The are "cage free".

I check all their vents regularly as they are lap chickens. I see no signs of swelling, or injury. So, I figure, it's a fluke of this particular hens reproductive tract. My Avatar is a pic of our Road Island Red we lost back in February. She died from egg binding. We had her inside for 5 days trying our best to help her "deliver". So, now I'm a bit anxious when I see anything out of normal, like this egg. All we can do is keep an eye out and do what you are doing, watch and wait.

That egg pictured shows classic sign of mycoplasma infection. Don't panic, it's everywhere but most people don't know their flock has it too. Read up on it.

 

[amberlkuntz]

That egg pictured shows classic sign of mycoplasma infection. Don't panic, it's everywhere but most people don't know their flock has it too. Read up on it.

I just read about it and we have none of the respiratory or physical head signs and this has been happening for probably about 8 months since they started laying.

 

[aart]

I just read about it and we have none of the respiratory or physical head signs and this has been happening for probably about 8 months since they started laying.

Probably just a shell gland glitch, I have had several hens that laid shells like that.
As long as they are eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK there's no sense in worrying.

 

[amberlkuntz]

Probably just a shell gland glitch, I have had several hens that laid shells like that.
As long as they are eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK there's no sense in worrying.

Great! Thanks! The kids and I have named that hen "Lemon" and I just make sure to not give her eggs to anybody, we eat them ourselves.

 

[Perris]

I just read about it and we have none of the respiratory or physical head signs and this has been happening for probably about 8 months since they started laying.

That's good to hear. If it is mycoplasma it suggests it's a mild strain. It is OK to sell the eggs; it's not transmitted via them so you wouldn't be spreading it by so doing.