Chicken lays weird-shaped eggs. Wherefore??

[julskinka]

Our 15 mo Silver-laced Wyandotte has always laid slightly strange eggs .... a pale pink, and seemingly very thin-shelled no matter how much oyster shell we offer. (None of the other chickens have thin shells). But the weirdest part is the shape! Instead of a smooth curve towards the pointed end, each egg seems to have a “waist,” and then a fairly blunt tip — almost pear-shaped. And occasionally they are even weirder than that - like this one from today, which bulged in an almost cork-screw fashion:

What is up with this chicken? My 10 yo daughter suggested her cloaca was shaped weirdly, Haha. She seems robust, healthy, and meets standards otherwise!

 

[Beer can]

New layer? I get some weird one's sometimes like that with young layers. Sometimes they just have to take some time to work it out. I had a bunch of brownleghorns once started out laying huge 100+ gram double yolkers and that's what someone here told me. I was afraid they were going to blow themselves out lol. Couple months later they started laying normal eggs.

 

[Beer can]

Sometimes they continue to lay weird eggs. I have a jersey giant lays super long eggs, and still does.

 

[sawilliams]

He's she could just have an internal defect cheating the odd shape. It may never be an issue for her. The eggs do look extra large though and that could be at least part of the reason of the thin shell. Unfortunately some are incapable of producing strong shells regardless of extra calcium intake, I had 1 like that for a long time.

 

[Birdsong 82]

That’s funny cause I have one that’s lays and egg quite similar with the waist and sometimes just long and smooth. Always thought it was odd but I guess not too odd. But she’s been laying no prob over 2 yes now

 

[Birdsong 82]

I guess some chickens like to be unique

 

[Fishkeeper]

That's really strange, but probably harmless. Like some people said above, it could just be an internal deformity.
Does the rest of it look normal? Insides, shell thickness?

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

Hi @julskinka, usually caused by a spastic chicken butt...

kidding . Could be stress related but nothing to worry about. One of my younger Light Brahma was laying Jupiter like eggs for a few weeks; somewhat normal but with a really thick ring at the "equator". Turns out Baby Rooster was pounding the crap out of her 5 times a day. She eventually realized she's twice his size and just started shaking him off. Eggs returned to normal. I read somewhere if eggs get damaged internally, it's kinda like calcium "scar tissues". God damn Baby Rooster!

Exhibit A:

 

[julskinka]

Thanks everyone! I think her normal is just a little off, because they’re always like that, and she doesn’t seem to have any problems. I was just wondering what causes it physiologically. Henceforth she shall be dubbed Deimos The Spastic-Butt Chicken!

New layer? I get some weird one's sometimes like that with young layers.

What constitutes a new layer? She’s been laying for about 10 months. Is that still “new?”

Does the rest of it look normal? Insides, shell thickness?

The insides are normal, but the shell tends to be brittle, particularly towards the not-so-pointy pointy end. It often has hairline fractures I assume from when it hits the floor of the nest box when she lays it.

God damn Baby Rooster!

Hahahahah!
This pattern predates any baby roosters (who are only 12 weeks and she won’t tolerate them eating near her so I don’t think this is the issue). But this cracked me up.

“Calcium scar tissues...” I wonder what could cause that? It does almost seem like there’s a tighter spot where the egg must sit while it’s being shelled.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This link link might help.

Egg Quality Handbook

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/

I think you have two different things going on.

Some hens' bodies just don't process the calcium they eat to make the shell material. No matter how much they eat not enough gets processed. Some don't have the instinct to eat extra calcium when you offer it. While the calcium is there, she just may not be producing enough shell material.

The egg normally goes through a certain process in the shell gland. It normally takes an egg about 25 hours to go from the hen releasing the yolk to start the process until it is laid. Most of that time is in the shell gland where she is adding shell material. The last half hour is usually used for a brown egg laying hen to add the brown to the outside of the shell. It's possible something is wrong with her timing. With that bump and one end being thinner than the other, she may be starting the laying process and stopping it for a bit.

If it were a very rare occurrence, well we are all entitled to an occasional oops. It's no big deal. But yours is consistent so I think she has a problem with her shell gland. That's quite possibly genetic, I'd never try to hatch one of her eggs and risk introducing that more into my flock.