Eggs smell (and taste!) like fish!!!

[mypicklebird]

Two weeks for the yolk to 'ripen' before it is released into the tract to get white and shell laid on, so anything getting into the yolk two weeks ago will be gone in about that time. If they still smell after that, they are still getting into something.

Fish meal as a protein source filler in the bag of food would be my guess. Do you still have the label, does it have ingredients? Was is chicken/poultry food for sure?

For sure- eating large amounts of fish will make eggs smell fishy, and garlic eating will cause garlic eggs.

Does the white and yolk LOOK normal in color and texture? Some types of bacterial contamination can cause bad smells, but then the yolk and whites are snotty looking. (yuck)

 

[ewesfullchicks]

It could be that your source of protein is soybean meal. This is fine, as long as it's not more than 5% (according to the experts at Fertrell) of the total feed ration. More than that will cause the fishy taste.

However, soybean meal is very expensive, so it's weird that a cheap chicken feed would cause that!

Hope this helps.

 

[Beyond Yonder]

I have researched this and it is a big problem in Europe and Australia with brown egg layers. About 10% have a genetic defect that makes their eggs taste fishy because of Choline which they get from rape seed (canola). Search out a feed that has less of this in the nutritional analysis.

 

[Kbrindle28]

I too have been struggling with this problem. I also heard that brown egg layers have a genetic issue that causes this.I thought it was a soy intolerance.had not heard of the grape seed being a problem before. I just switched to a different "healthier" alternative feed. I will give them a couple of weeks and I will see if their is a change. I will update either way.

 

[coach723]

I too have been struggling with this problem. I also heard that brown egg layers have a genetic issue that causes this.I thought it was a soy intolerance.had not heard of the grape seed being a problem before. I just switched to a different "healthier" alternative feed. I will give them a couple of weeks and I will see if their is a change. I will update either way.

Rape seed with an "r", not grape seed with a "g". Two different things.

If you have off tasting eggs, number one would be to rule out any illness or infections. Two would be to ensure they aren't getting access to something you aren't aware they are eating, perhaps confine them in a smaller range for a period to see if it clears up. Three, I'd switch brands of feed for a month and see if it gets better. There is HUGE latitude on what is allowed in animal feed and what they are required to put on the label. If the feed you are using contains animal by products or fish by products, I'd try a vegetarian feed for a while. That will probably contain more soy, as that's usually what they get the protein up with. Even the same brand can vary batch to batch. I think that's why they sew the ingredient labels into the seam on bags of feed. They can change the label without redesigning the bag. That's just a guess on my part. Sorry, I'm an obsessive label reader.

 

[Beyond Yonder]

I took my girls of the Omega Feed and switched them to Feather fixer. Seems better and their shells are much harder.