I've had some very strange eggs the last few weeks. Some of them look long and skinny, others are stark white (brown layers) and then others look like the ones in the pics below... any clues to what the heck is going on?
I'm no expert on eggs, but my first thought would be a calcium deficiency. What are they eating? Those are some rough looking eggs!!!!
I researched and found that the eggs in your pics are called flat sided eggs. Here is what I found, but others may have better info for you. This can be caused by disease (most commonly IB), stress (too much activity in coop and run by people or animals), overcrowding, not enough light/sudden changes in lighting, or simply young hens begining to lay, which it is common for the young hen to double ovulate causing mis-shaped eggs. Hope this helps you. Jean
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS029 Factors Affecting Egg Production in Backyard Chicken Flocks http://www.afn.org/~poultry/flkman4.htm CONCEPTS OF EGGSHELL QUALITY (short little summary with an excellent review of feeding factors) http://www.afn.org/~poultry/flkman3.htm IB (inectious bronchitis) and how it can affect eggs
They have been laying for about two months now. There are 52 chickens in a coop 40ft x 15ft. there isn't a "run" but I have them fenced in a 250ft x 150ft yard with lots of tall grass areas, small trees (about 5ft tall), and three chicken hide outs placed around the yard. It sits 600 ft from the road and 400ft from the house, and I am the only one who ever goes out there. After looking through the link so generously posted, I don't think my chickens are sick. I visit them everyday and there are no signs of illness. poop looks solid and brown (little white here and there). no watery eyes, no feather loss, no lazy chickens..... everyone eats well too... They have crushed oyster shell in a separate feeder, crushed granite in another feeder. I feed them a meatbird feed and give them a scratch as an evening treat. Sometimes I even cook up a huge pan of oatmeal and add a couple cans of tuna in water for flavor... I have 10 nests in a 5 X 2 config. Its lined with wood chips and grasses. And is at the rear of the coop.... the coop is 1/3 of my barn with the other 2/3 for equiptment and feed storage and there is a set of lights on a timer that turns on at 5am and off at 8am. Thanks for your help. But I am thinking its just a begining layer thing...
