Dirty egg whites

[dmankin]

Hello. I've been around chickens since I was a young boy (now in 70s). I know how to recognize eggs that are going bad. I recently put 8 hens in a small back yard that has no grass. Of course they enjoy wallowing and dusting since the yard will not grow grass. I have noticed what appears to be dirt in the egg whites. Is this really dirt that somehow is traveling from the ground up into the albumin via the oviduct? Thanks.

 

[Judy]

I wonder if you are seeing "meat spots." They are not all that uncommon, and harmless to them and you. It's virtually impossible for dirt to travel as you describe. Most chickens will take dirt or dust baths, given the chance.

 

[dmankin]

I'm not familiar with the condition of meat spots but sometime eggs from my Marans have several tiny specks in the albumen shock look like dirt. Thanks

 

[sumi]

Meat spots are usually brown in colour and they are found in the albumen, rather than the yolk. They consist of small pieces of body tissue, such as the internal wall of the oviduct and brown egg laying hens are more likely to produce them than white egg laying hens.