'A' for effort

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Has anyone seen a chicken egg as small as this? For those not in the US, a penny is 19 mm (0.750 in) in diameter. Could this be from one of my 2-year-old hens, or is it more likely from my one pullet who just turned egg-laying age?

 

[LilJoe]

Where did you find it?
Most likely a wind egg (oops egg)

 

[RowanTheRed]

lol, it's not even big enough for mini nugget status. More like a butt kernel!

 

[Potatoblocks101]

Ya I had a chicken a few days ago lay an egg about that size it was crazy

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Where did you find it?
Most likely a wind egg (oops egg)

In one of the nests.

 

[LilJoe]

In one of the nests.

Then ne of ypur pullets

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

What am I going to do with this thing? It's too cute to break. Will it keep forever? In the fridge?

 

[Gibs]

No, it'll eventually get yucky like any other egg - though it might last a bit longer because these "wind eggs" usually don't have much yolk. If you've ever slaughtered a hen of laying age, have you seen the unlaid yolks inside her? Usually there are quite a few, ranging from normal yolk size (almost ready to be encased in an egg and laid), down to tiny specks (just barely developing). Normal eggs happen when one of the fully developed yolks is released and moves through the process; double-yolkers happen when two are released at the same time (or occasionally more!) - and these "wind eggs" happen when, instead of a fully-developed yolk, the hen's body releases one of the undeveloped, pea-sized yolks and surrounds it with the appropriate amount of white, shell, etc. Egg laying is a fun process!

Anyway, it won't keep in the fridge forever, but you could certainly preserve the shell by poking a hole at each end, blowing out the contents, and sealing the holes with wax. You can Google "egg blowing" for more information, it's the same process used traditionally to make those incredible Easter eggs, or to make art out of those thick turquoise emu eggshells, etc.

 

[aart]

Could this be from one of my 2-year-old hens, or is it more likely from my one pullet who just turned egg-laying age?

Could be from either.....great post BTW.
Sometimes older hens have a glitch, especially if they are slowing down prior to molting.

You could rule out the pullet by examining her nether region.
Vent Appearance:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.

Pelvic Points, feel for the 2 bony points(pelvic bones F-F) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.
(Spacing is relative with chickens size and humans finger size.)

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Update. I believe that the egg in my first post was from my new pullet. Here a two others of increasingly larger size, but still very small, that were all laid in the same nest.