Eggs tasting funny?

[RaeC]

I have ten laying hens right now, ranging in ages from one to four years. All of my eggs go to my mom, and lately she's been complaining about them tasting funny, like teflon. At first it started with just one, and I think, going by her description, I had figured out it came from either my full brahma hen or a half brahma, I can't remember. But she told me yesterday it seems like they're almost all getting that way, except for the tiny ones from my OEs or cochins. All of my standards but one are over the age of two, mostly over the age of three. I haven't changed their feed in over a year, so, what's causing this? Could it be their age? Because my OEs & cochins are only around a year old, and theirs are fine, so, age is the only thing I could think of. I really haven't done anything differently with them, so, I don't know what it could be. Anybody else have this happen?

 

[LynneP]

Do you give them seasonal plants or do they free-range any of the time? Certain insects and plants can affect the tastes of eggs, particularly cruciferous plants.

 

[RaeC]

They sometimes free range, a few days a week for a few hours at a time. But we've lived here for almost five years, wouldn't it have happened before?

 

[Judy]

Do you eat them? Do they taste funny to you?

 

[MissJenny]

Does your mother have a cold, allergies or illnesses. Is she using any new medications? Has she recently quit smoking. In the case of any of the above, some foods will taste "off" while others will taste fine.

Jenny

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Does she fry/cook them in the same pan every time? Maybe it's the pan...we had a pan make everything taste funny, got rid of the pan and it stopped.

 

[rebecca10782]

My first thought was the spatula melting. Isn't teflon plastic? I am tired, sorry. Try using a metal spatula and an iron pan (Nothing to do with this, I use iron pans because it is very dangorous if you use an aluminum pan with any scratches on it.)

Another thought, could you chickens be getting into some sort of pastic pellets??? Chickens aren't always the brightest. I have heard of the eating styrofoam and stuff like that

 

[Judy]

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/ep127.pdf

This does give some causes for off flavors to eggs.

 

[3KillerBs]

How is she storing them?

Does she have any strong-smelling food in her fridge that she might not normally have?

Has she recently cleaned her fridge with a new type of cleaner?

I forget what the culprit was, but I had something in my fridge once that made my butter taste very funky.

Is there anything strong-scented in her car?

And one time when I was in college I bought a bar of soap and a loaf of bread, carried them home in the same bag, and had the weirdest tasting bread that week. LOL

 

[RaeC]

I didn't think about it, but my OEGBs get out of the pen all the time, so they free range the most, and yet their eggs are fine.

It's only the standard eggs that are tasting funny.

She doesn't use teflon stuff, goes back to owning parakeets in the past. I assume she uses the same pan & stuff for all of them, yet it's only the standards that are doing this?

I haven't eaten any recently, so I can't vouch for the taste. I have to be in the mood for eggs, and it rarely happens. lol

I just can't think of why it would be affecting some but not others. They all live in the same pen & coop, all drink the same water, all eat the same feed. It's weird.

Thanks for all the ideas!