Am I missing something in the chickens diet?

[TreehuggerMo]

We’ve been raising chickens a few years now but lately I’ve noticed that the eggs we get seem “off”. When I boil a egg, fresh or not, they don’t peel at all. The egg white seems almost under done despite how long they boil. I just purchased a doz eggs from the local store () and those eggs peeled perfectly. I’m wondering if my poor chickens are too old or missing something in their diet. Youngest chicken is 3 years. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[azygous]

The only thing missing from your eggs is being consigned to a warehouse shelf for two months before you boil them. Fresh eggs are so plump with moisture that the membrane is in touch with the shell and will resist peeling. You can solve this by leaving the eggs out on your counter for a few days before boiling them. Or try steaming them and shock cooling them in ice water when finished cooking. That will shock the membrane away from the shell and make it easy to peel them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Are the whites translucent instead of opaque?

I have one hen whose eggs have always been like that. I toss all her eggs.

Sorry not much help but thought a little more info would be good.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I agree. I wait at 2 weeks before boiling my eggs. On the flip side of this is poached eggs. The fresher the egg the better the result.

 

[Mosey2003]

I seem to remember reading that the whites can get thinner in older hens' eggs, but don't quote me on that.

I am a big fan of steaming and then shocking in ice water though. Not perfect every time, but a much higher success rate on average. Steam hard for 14 minutes, then ice bath for at least 10 minutes, if not longer. They will peel better than starting in a cold pot boiling.

 

[blackdog043]

I’m wondering if my poor chickens are too old or missing something in their diet.

What are you feeding them?
If you crack the eggs on a flat surface, are the whites real runny?
If they are, look up runny egg whites. There are a few causes besides older chickens that might help you figure this out.

 

[TreehuggerMo]

Thanks all! The whites are not runny or translucent. I have not waited for a two week period so I’m going to try that. I do boil then put in an ice bath but I’ve never waited 10 minutes so I’ll try that to. You’ve all made me feel better about this though as I’d hate to be missing something they need.