5 month old Cornish Cross laying EGGS! Safe?

[Birdsofafedder]

Wonders never cease! We started out with 6 Cornish Crosses thinking they were Leghorns and were sadly disappointed when they turned into B52 bomber chickens. They started dying off around 4 months, seemed like one a week, but the last two are a male and a female who are very large but seem healthy. The male runs a bit and then has to lay down to rest. The female started laying soft or no-shell eggs a week or so ago and just to see what would happen I started really pumping her calcium up. She started laying a pinkish tan colored egg, one every day in the goat barn. We were told they'd never lay, so didn't worry about a nesting box, and now that we have one built for her she continues to lay them in a corner in the barn.

My main concern is how filthy she is and if the eggs are safe to eat because of her dirty bottom. She and the Roo both seem to love laying in the mud around the goat waterer and their butts are really black and disgusting. They're both ornery and the male bit the crap out of me not long ago and drew blood. I was starting to get some infection in it but after a few days with antibiotic ointment and colloidal silver, it's okay. Just a scar now. ...so I'm a little scared to try to clean either of them up. We were basically letting them live out their short little lives in free range heaven and then bury them.

Does anyone have any thought on the safety of dirty butt eggs? (I know they don't come out of their butts, that's just what my husband and I have been calling them!

)

 

[bockbock2008]

My birds will sometimes poo in their nesting boxes and then lay their eggs in there so they get poo on them. I wash ALL of my eggs before I put them in cartons so I can see where yours would be any different. Wash in mild soapy water, let them dry and they are ready to eat!

 

[angelique_redhead]

They should be fine. I personally would incubate them but that's me. I love incubating my eggs.

: Angelique

 

[smarsh]

not likely to hatch, but you can always discard. after a week you should know

 

[Birdsofafedder]

Quote:
They're always cold when we find them even though they're probably fertile. The Roo do like his lady! But I have to wonder with them both being Cornish Cross, what kind of bird it would be... They're not even supposed to be able to reproduce I thought.

 

[Majd]

These are all myths my friend! Cornish cross are a chicken like any other and nothing can physically prevent reproduction... Although because of the weight of the roos they have a hard time mounting females if ever... But can they reproduce? Yes! And females usually lay super large eggs! If you would like to keep them alive for longer cutt down their feed and let them work their butts to find their own... Just give them enough to get by(no free choice)... And about their dirty buttom: well if the egg is clean its good to eat of course! If not wash it! You're not eating their butts after all right?! The deather on the hind end are filthy because they sit on the ground a lot... But when the egg is laid is get out of the cloaca extra clean and perfect! So don't worry about their butt feather hygiene and enjoy your birds and their eggs!!

 

[Majd]

Oh and do you have pics

 

[enola]

Flies love to lay eggs on dirty butts. Fly strike can kill a chicken.

 

[Majd]

Ive never heard/seen that happen? Maybe you're right but i dont reckon those bords have full poopy goowy wet stinky bottoms? Just some poop that dries off quickly?