What's on this egg?

[Gwen]

I have one chicken that lays eggs that always have this rough coating on the eggs. It's non uniform and doesn't cover the whole egg. I can scrape or wash it off, which I do.

I used to get two of these every day, but now I only get one and whoever the 2nd chicken was who was laying them has moved on to laying regular eggs. Oddly, too, they used to be very dark brown, almost as brown as a marans but are getting lighter. They also were jumbo egg. Whoever was the 2nd chicken laying them now lays smaller and lighter eggs because all the rest of the eggs are smaller and lighter in color. We have 7 chickens and I often get 7 eggs. So I used to get 2 of these jumbo dark eggs with the coating, but now I only get 1 and it's lighter in color but still jumbo and with the coating.

This photo is blurry but you can see the coating. It's whitish in color.

 

[Dadspossum]

If it is like layered it is just calcium, which is a good thing. If it is just a different color it might just be the type of chicken. I have a Buff and it lays a blonde colored eggs.

 

[Gwen]

It is like a 'layer.' The egg is also slightly discolored. Orig they were quite speckled. But as they got lighter in color, the speckles also got lighter.

Why would this be on eggs from only one chicken? And why would there have been another chicken laying similar eggs and now not?

 

[Carlyle]

Does this look like your egg? My Red Star chicken normally lays medium brown eggs - same color as small end below. Last two times, they have been mottled like this. I wish I knew why.

 

[Gwen]

Carlyle, No, not really. I'll try and get a better photo. it doesn't mean it isn't the same thing as on your egg, tho, just because it's not identical. Does that stuff on your eggs wash or scrape off?

 

[Carlyle]

Yes, I forgot to say that at first I thought the white coloring was lack of pigment, but have subsequently discovered that all of the white scrapes off and leaves the normal brown color. It looks just like somebody "misted" the egg with white paint.

 

[smarsh2]

I have had that, but don't know what it is either.

 

[chaneg78]

I believe it is extra calcium

 

[Carlyle]

Yes, it seems to be extra calcium. But where did it come from? And what circumstances causes a chicken to do this? This seems common enough that there ought to be a detailed and widely understood description of this. Don't you think?

 

[Chickiemama1010]

my hens lay eggs like that sometimes too. I dont think its a big deal. Its just extra calcium, which i figure means they are getting plenty and there wont be soft shells in my nest boxes. I wouldnt worry about it