Bad eggs need help....

[diggerduck]

I have gotten three eggs in the last two days, all three have been white with three eights inch dents on one side with spider-web looking cracks all around it. The eggs actually look old but they are not in there more than a couple hours at a time. Quick info on the birds: Texas A&M, moved to this cage 7 days ago, sand floor with a box on the side. I feed them GB feed from Rural King farm supply, supplemented with oyster-cal for egg layers. I was gettin normal eggs up until the move, then moved them and added four hens. I am new to this site and not sure I can post pics yet ( not sure if I could figure out how to do it if I could ). Any ideas would be great, thanks, Steve.

 

[kahlertm]

This is only a guess suggestion to your problem, as I am one of the newer kids on the block.


I have recently combined some of my females to a different cage. There was a laying strike for just a bit..but then I noticed that some of the girls would go ahead and lay, but then protect their egg by rolling it with their beak. They were trying to tuck it under themselves or just roll it around their little laying area I provide (I provide grass basket caves and they all use them). Could it be that one of your girls is rolling her eggs around over zealously?


OR a simple alternative is that they are being stepped on by girls rushing around making room or getting used to each other's "personal space issues". The spider web cracks on the egg around the dent sound like the egg was hit, pressed upon....Wonder if it happened internally or externally. As in someone's tummy got stepped on OR the egg got stepped on.

Just musing with you...

Tonya

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Well, white eggs are what I use as a stress indicator. It sounds like that pen change could be the cause of a lot of stress.Any changes will trigger stress, which can lead to white eggs or no eggs. (White eggs are normally more breakable, in my experience.) They should start laying normally within a week or two, once they are reacclimated.

Quail Commandment I- Any direct change in sameness could result in unhappy owners.

 

[Stellar]

White eggs can be the bird just laying white eggs (some birds do and not under any kind of stress at all).

Spider webs...eggs are being rolled around too much or too soft when they are rolled around. Get some oyster shell and crush it up a bit, put it in their sand box or mix it in their food. GBS doesn't cut it at times. They need more for sustainable egg laying. but since you moved the birds in a new environment 7 days ago, give them time to get used to it.

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Quote:
This is true, but the OP does say that they changed pens. If they were laying normal eggs before, then they probably won't start laying white eggs normally. Diggerduck, let us know when you get this sorted out, I'll be curious if the hen change's her egg pattern! That would be pretty neato!

 

[diggerduck]

I will try to post a photo of the egg.... I have found them in the box and in sand, all dented the same way. I am just worried that one of the hens may have an internal problem and want to address it if needed. thanks again for any suggestions.

 

[TexasChris]

I have no idea but thats ugly1 hope someone can help fast!