Broody lays fairy egg

[CailinRua]

My young Buff Orpington, Lucia, went broody a few days ago. I've been lifting her out of the nest when I go to the coop to make sure she's eating and getting water. When I lifted her off a few minutes ago I was startled to find what appears to be a dark brown fairy egg. Her eggs are usually pink. I'm not really worried, but I've not read anything about any connection between broodies and fairy eggs, but considering the really bad timing for setting a nest (December) I'm hoping maybe it's an indication she's coming out of it? Or might the extreme difference in color mean it's actually from a different hen and she was just sitting on it? None of mine lay anything this dark, but my Novogen (Toblerone) lays the darkest eggs and this is more in her color palate than Lucia's, although still much darker. I've only had one other fairy egg, rather delightfully on Easter day this last spring. That one was from an EE, is green and much rounder than this one.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Those dark eggs aren't from the Orpington. Someone else is laying in her nest which is very common.

 

[CailinRua]

I know the larger egg in the photograph isn't the orpingtons I just included it so there be a reference as to how small the dark egg is. This photograph is of the dark egg and an egg I know was laid by the orpington. She's still young and her own eggs are a bit small which is why I use someone else's egg to show the contrast in size.

 

[aart]

Is it actually a fairy egg....no yolk inside?

If you don't want your broody to hatch eggs,
best break her...the sooner the better.

 

[chickens really]

If you don't want other eggs in the nest?..Separate her and her eggs..Do you have a Rooster?..If not and don't want Chicks?..Break her from being broody..

 

[CailinRua]

She went through a broody period once before, she seems to be very inclined to do so. I do have two roosters. She'll probably go broody again in the spring and at that point we'll allow her to set some eggs, but really don't want her trying to raise chicks in the winter. I'm going to the coop often and removing her from whatever nest she hss taken over.

We haven't cracked the tiny egg, and may choose to keep it intact and let it dry out as we have the one from Easter. I am curious though as to whether it might have a yolk despite being so, so tiny. Or could be a difference in gender was pretty round, and this one has a normal egg shape it's just very, very small.

 

[aart]

It's not really that small.
Always good to put a coin in an egg pic.

 

[chickens really]

It will still have whites and goop in it..