egg membrane only

[kimerh]

I have a Buff Orpington who already laid her egg this morning, a normal hard-shelled egg. Tonight I went out to close the coop and watched her lay an egg that only had a membrane, turn around and start eating it. I have seen a few of these eggs in the coop before but wasn't sure who was laying them. It's like she wanted a bedtime snack! Any advice or explanation for this??

Kim

 

[CMV]

It's a fluke in the plumbing. It happens not infrequently, but is usually eaten by the chickens so there is usually little evidence of it having happened. Free choice oyster shell could be helpful if you are seeing soft-shelled eggs regularly. If you are not seeing them regularly, then I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Good luck.

 

[rhodered10]

is this her first couple of months of laying? i know when my hens started to lay i would get these eggs occasionally, they are just tomorrows eggs coming out early because i would always be missing an egg the next day, mine used to eat theirs too so i always tried to take the egg as it was coming out, gross but i don't want them to get into the habit of eating their own eggs even if it is a bad one. it shouldn't be anything to worry about long as it doesn't happen too often.

 

[kimerh]

She's a year old but it makes sense that it was today's egg yesterday -- she didn't lay one today.

thanks!