Black coturnix egg

[Sill]

Out of a cage with five hens and one roo I found this!



It looks a lot blacker in person than in the pic. It's very rough and the coating is thick. I had recently moved this covey and they are just getting back into laying, this was the first day in a while that I got more than two eggs. I think the hen had a build up of pigment and just let it all go on this egg? These birds are 6 months old and all previous eggs have been "normal".

 

[nchls school]

It's pretty neat to see what nature comes up with and wonder, "What next?".

 

[brittanimck]

Over production of pigment right before the egg reaches the vent. Very cool! But nothing to be concerned about, in my experience.

 

[dc3085]

Usually any abnormally colored eggs are the result of a second painting by the ovaduct. The hen can choose to retain the egg for a while instead of laying it but once she does this the ovaduct goes right back to work thinking its a new egg and paints it again.