Bloody chicken egg

[The Girls Mom]

I have 4 little hens that I call "mystery chickens" because I don't know what kind they are. I adopted them from the pound and no one there knew what kind they are. One of them is laying eggs covered with dried blood. I have been just washing them off and eating them like all the other eggs, but I decided maybe I should ask someone if the blood indicates a series problem. Does anyone know what might be the cause of the dried blood on the egg? The chicken herself is very healthy. In fact she wants to "sit" on everybody's eggs and I have to shoo her off the nest every day to collect the eggs. She becomes very upset and squacks and flaps around and carries on something awful every day when I collect the eggs.

Some of my garden club friends suggested she might have hemoroids! I think they were kidding but I would appreciate any insight anyone can give me in this regard.

My Girls Mom

 

[sourland]

Well, an egg can be a pretty big item for some hens to pass. Early in the laying cycle until things stretch a bit, it is not at all unusual for a hen to lay blood streaked eggs. Excessive blood may be indicative of more serious issues.

 

[The Girls Mom]

She's not new to laying eggs. They were all laying when I adopted them from the pound in May of 2013. Then they quit laying. So I got 3 Rhode Island Red chicks and waited for them to start laying hoping that they would inspire the mystery chickens into laying again. It worked! The mystery girls are laying again but the one doing the sitting keeps laying eggs with dried blood. Any other thoughts?