Eggs with stretch marks?

[alexxkilbzz]

This is my first summer with my own chickens, my parents always had them growing up but they were never my responsibility. I brought home 3 one year old cochin hens and a roo last March. They laid really well all spring and then about 3-4 weeks ago one went broody and the other 2 followed in suit a week or two later. I collected their eggs from the day the first one went broody and let them set and just yesterday one hatched. I've been checking and candling the other eggs and I can tell there are some that should be hatching this weekend but what I've noticed is the shells seem to have stretch marks around them at the widest part of the egg.  I'm wondering if this is common from the chick growing inside the shell or if it is a sign of a bad egg? All three hens stopped laying only about 2 weeks ago so we should have hatching eggs throughout the next week or so.

One egg

Second egg

Just for fun- the baby that hatched yesterday!

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Do you have any images?

 

[alexxkilbzz]

Currently- no. I can take some later. I want to avoid disturbing the mamas and eggs as much as possible. They just look like stretch lines around the wides part of the egg. When I candle them they look dark like they should hatch any day.

 

[alexxkilbzz]

I updated the post with pictures!

 

[gvalencia]

Aww what an adorable chic

 

[alexxkilbzz]

Thanks! Definitely happy with the entire turn out so far. Mama's were great at setting and so far good at caring for the chicks. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to let mama's raise them or if I'm going to put them in a brooder after they are all hatched. One is in the process of hatching right now! SO EXCITING! Theoretically we should have 1-3 chicks hatching per day for the next week. Trying so hard not to count my chicks before they hatch though!

 

[alexxkilbzz]

Both eggs hatched just fine! I could tell the eggs were viable through candling when they got a little older. I could see the We have a total of 10 babies!

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Adorable chick!!

The egg abnormalities aren't anything too serious. You may try adding a side of oyster shell for calcium. The shell did not do that to form with the chick; it was laid like that.

Good luck with the rest of the eggs!

 

[alexxkilbzz]

Thanks, the eggs all hatched just fine! I did have a couple losses but that's to be expected I suppose.