Black soft-shelled "egg"

kerbotx

Crowing
8 Years
Aug 29, 2016
486
1,062
281
Northeast Texas
It's possible that I missed this from yesterday - a black hen had pulled out several feathers when last on that nest, and it was late when I collected eggs one last time. Maybe I saw it, but dismissed it as just another black feather... I tried to scoop up a bunch of bedding with it, so I didn't have to actually touch it, and quickly returned to the house. I've seen a lot of horror movies in my day, so I made sure I had a witness!
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It was cold, and fleshy, with a tail - just like some rubber shelled eggs can be. There was no smell. Just placing it on the paper towel caused it start leaking - orange egg yolk, with lots of blood. That tail at the end was thick & ropey. Once the contents were spilled, the walls were thin, just like you'd expect, but there was a thicker piece that pealed off from the tail end, it was like a tiny piece of liver.

I feel like I should have disposed of it with something involving fire, but no flame thrower was handy, so I just wadded up the paper towel & threw it away in a Walmart bag. As best I can tell, everyone is accounted for & otherwise fine. Weird, huh?
 
@azygous
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive
@aarp
Have any of you folks ever seen anything like this? Have you any idea what it might be?

@kerbotx, can you tell us about ghe hen that passed this anomaly? You say she is a Black Australorp. How old is she; how long has she been laying; when was the last time she laid an egg before this, if you know? What do you feed, including treats and supplements? Does she seems generally well and thrifty? Is she eating, drinking and pooping normally? How many are in her flock, and where is she generally in the pecking order? Has she suffered any trauma recently that you are aware of? And can you post a picture of her, standing, from the side, showing her general stance. Thank you. This infogmation may help us help you.
 
This may be a freaky experience, but no worse than one of my egg customers reporting a completely blood red yolk when she broke the egg into the skillet. Blood vessels erupt sometimes as a hen is releasing a yolk for delivery. Sometimes some tissue sloughs off in addition, and you can have something like this greet you over getting breakfast. (What a way to start your day.)

At the time of my hen's bloody yolk, none of my hens were behaving anywhere near out of sorts. As long as your hens are all going about their happy business, there is little to be concerned about. But I know you'll be on the lookout for anything like this popping out again. Then it might start to get worrisome.
 
I agree that that is a weird egg with blood inside. Eggs with tails can also be common. I also had a hen who laid bloody eggs which is from a small hemorrhage in the oviduct. More often, the albumen is bloody, but this looks like the yolk is bloody. Hopwfully, this is a one time occurence, but time will tell. My hen who layed bloody eggs went from occasionally to every time, and then stopped laying altogether by age 2.
 

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