Egg laid with hole in it [pics]

[Wynette]

So I have a pullet that started laying about 3 weeks ago. The other day, I watched her lay her egg...it was laid with a hole in the side! It's about the size of a pencil eraser. I know it was laid this way, as I watched her lay it. This girl always lays in the poo bin, which is a nasty habit and that's why I was watching her. I had moved her from the poo bin to the nest box MANY times in the last 1 1/2 hours before she laid the egg, but I know the shell would have been done being formed by then, so I don't think that could have been the cause. I've searched and searched and have been unable to find info. on this. I'm not actually concerned, as I'm pretty sure it's just do to her being fairly new at laying. But, I though it was interesting, and I wondered if anyone else had any idea of why this may have happened, or if you've had a similar situation - oh, I should say that the egg was normal in every other way; it was not thin shelled or anything:

 

[Birdgirl]

I'm sorry Idk but I wanted to say mine did this too but it was at the end. same size and shape too. I figured it was lack of calcium, so I gave them oyster shells. Haven't seen one since. So i dont know...

 

[Emzyyy]

Thats very odd.

 

[Wynette]

OH, I should have put the feed info., too - thanks for that reminder, Birdgirl.

I feed a good quality layer pellet along with free-choice oyster shell and grit. I also give Avia Charge 2000 in their drinking water. They are in a barn pen with access to the outdoors about 14 hrs. per day.

Hi, Emzyyy!

 

[sparkles2307]

Weird!!!!

 

[Goat_Walker]

Id be freaked if my girls laid something like that 0.o

 

[Wynette]

Okay, y'all, stop making me feel like I've got a chicken from Mars or something!!

Just kidding. Yeah, it's very strange. I'm glad it was a one-time thing (HOPEFULLY!)

 

[toredano]

maybe she coughed or sneezed while she layed the egg..Blew a hole right into the egg.
.or maybe she .. farted?

I have no clue..
It does look like she maybe ran out of some sort of egg laying material.. its not normal and I would just throw it out. Just to be safe.

Think of it this way..every living thing sometimes makes a mistake.. be it with babys ( birtdefects etc) or something genetic.. It happends.. no need to worry

Actually .. if you look really close it looks like the shell has been pushed in and the shell is just recessed into the egg.. it may have been where there was a soft spot or it had not hardened yet and it got squeezed a bit by her vent or whatever muscle pushes it out.



Petra

 

[LauraLandry]

Hello, I am wondering if you found out the reason your chicken is laying eggs with holes? I have a Black Copper laying thee same eggs..

Sincerely and Thanks, Laura

 

[Wynette]

Hello, I am wondering if you found out the reason your chicken is laying eggs with holes? I have a Black Copper laying thee same eggs..

Sincerely and Thanks, Laura

Hi, Laura - I never did find out why that hen laid eggs like that on occasion; I've had two Marans that laid like that in the past, I never used them for breeding purposes, and so I think I have culled that issue out of my flock, as I haven't had any more birds lay like that. Strange, huh?

You might wish to contact another BCY member, Sumi, who wrote (or is writing) an article about egg defects. I bet she'd know more. @sumi