Almost perfect hole in egg

[tweetzone86]

Hello all!

So my kids are gathering eggs right now because I'm recovering from surgery, and my 9 year old brought me an egg that didn't have the membrane broken BUT had an almost perfectly circular hole in it about the size of just larger than a pencil eraser. It's later in the day they forgot to gather them sooner (which I stressed just now), but did one of my chickens peck at it? I don't have a photo she just threw it away, but I swear it was almost perfectly circular and the circle that was pecked was about 1/4" into the egg and luckily the membrane wasn't broken.

Could it be pecked? Or did a chicken just catch it with their claw when arranging herself in a nest box?

 

[sylviethecochin]

Was it on the blunt end? I generally find that's where the calcium is thinnest, and most susceptible to breakage. Do you supplement oyster shell?

 

[aart]

Coulda been a peck, coulda been a toenail.
Was shell thin there?
Thin shell could be a glitch.
I wouldn't worry unless you see it repeatedly.

 

[tweetzone86]

Was it on the blunt end? I generally find that's where the calcium is thinnest, and most susceptible to breakage. Do you supplement oyster shell?

I usually add it to their feed and have had excellent results doing so (I use Purina Flock Raiser) but hubby forgot this time...though I have been tossing a large handful each day I make it out there. I don't think the shell was thin, and it wasn't on the blunt end but on the side about 1/3 of the way from one end.

Ok. I know the chickens HATE the snow and refuse to go outside, so we just spread a haybale through the rest of our shed (normally back 6' or so reserved for chickens and they have the 140 sq ft run outside it) so they aren't overcrowded. I am concerned that they may get bored, but as the dumb birds refuse to go outside I don't know what else to do...I can't afford a cabbage every single day to occupy them.

 

[aart]

I can't afford a cabbage every single day to occupy them.

And that is not necessarily good for them.
I wouldn't worry about the hole.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

Try putting one of those totes that go under a bed full of peat or another light and loose soil and put some scratch on the dirt, it will provide endless entertainment

 

[TwistedSteel]

I got one like that a couple days ago, first i`ve ever seen. Hole is on the pointed end like you said about the size of an eraser. The membrane is not broken and the edges of the hole are perfectly smooth. The shell has not been broken just did not completely seal. I saved it and will post a pic.

 

[TwistedSteel]

IMG_20190219_184717736

• TwistedSteel
• Feb 28, 2019

This the egg