Blood in eggs?

[citychicks3]

I am noticing that one of my chickens is laying eggs with blood spots in it. Sometimes there is a little bit and sometimes there is quite a bit. We do not have any roosters. I am wondering if one is sick, although they all seem healthy.

 

[debilorrah]

They are probably fine - are the eggs large? This is one way to see if quite a bit is too much. Take a quarter teaspoon of water and pour in on the counter. It looks like a lot more than it is.

 

[conroy]

When my barred rock started laying she had blood in her eggs for a couple of weeks. Now we rarely get any with blood.

 

[Gardeninggranny]

Is the blood in the egg or on it? Blood spots in eggs have a bit of heredity in them, some hens are more prone to them by their genetics. They signify that a blood vessel broke in the oviduct while an egg was passing through, before the shell gland, it usually is not significant.

Rough handling, being chased or stress can cause blood in eggs too by causing vessels to break.

Blood on the outside of the egg can mean that a vessel broke near the end of the oviduct or it can mean the hen has a torn or pecked vent. Pick her up and see if you can see blood around the vent and if so she needs to be moved away from the other hens so they don't peck at her.

 

[citychicks3]

Thankyou for the quick responses. When you said it could be stress, I also noticed that one of my chicks has had some pooped that sticks to her rear feathers. I tried to wash it but not all came off. None of my other 3 hens have that. I wonder if she is the one laying the eggs with blood in it. She seems fine otherwise. Could she be sick?

 

[debilorrah]

More than likely not sick - is she acting lethargic or mean or differently than normal. Try a warm wash cloth to get the poo off the rear and the use some olive oil there to keep it from sticking for a while. It sounds to me like she is fine.

 

[citychicks3]

My 11 year old daughter has been feeding them lately and she said that she thinks she might seem not like herself but she is eating fine. I will have to check for myself tomorow if she seems different.

 

[MandyH]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=118747