Finding an egg in the dirt.

[ElmCityChickens]

It's been raining for a few days and I think either on Easter or the day before Easter somebody laid an egg on the far side of their 40 ft long chick run away from the coop. Anyone know why this is happening and if the egg is still any good? It's been raining like cray so I'm astonished it's not broken or crushed by the branches falling off the trees and stuff. It's a blue egg that looks so faded that it's almost white. How can I tell if it's not good to eat anymore? Is a chicken sick or distressed? Or did she just take a sand bath then accidentally laid an egg? Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[Acre4Me]

How long have they been laying? Sometimes new layers just don’t make it to the nest box. Maybe she decided her dust bathing was the place to lay.

yes, ours will sometimes lay somewhere else. Sometimes their favorite nest box was taken for too long or they didn’t make it into the coop or nest box.

when in doubt, throw it out. You could crack into a bowl to make sure ok, then cook and feed to chickens or dogs, if you have them.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I've found eggs in the large pens before. From my first and second Flock.
Here its always been within a year after they started to lay. This egg was laid in the pen about 8 months after my first Flock started to lay. . GC

 

[rosemarythyme]

I wouldn't eat it... if it was dry I might consider it, but after it's been soaking in rain and whatever's on the ground, no thanks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Mine seem to lay wherever they feel like it. I have a 3 year gal who has always decided that some days she just doesn't feel like a nestbox

 

[ElmCityChickens]

How long have they been laying? Sometimes new layers just don’t make it to the nest box. Maybe she decided her dust bathing was the place to lay.

yes, ours will sometimes lay somewhere else. Sometimes their favorite nest box was taken for too long or they didn’t make it into the coop or nest box.

when in doubt, throw it out. You could crack into a bowl to make sure ok, then cook and feed to chickens or dogs, if you have them.

You can feed chicken eggs to chickens? I mean ten years ago my fam sat my mom down for giving our chickens leftover chicken as a "messed up thing to do." I would hate to be a hypocrite. Also we are taking about a 2.5 year old chicken who is very inconsistent in egg-laying, and went from the top of the pecking order to the bottom somehow. She is the chicken in my profile picture and she is very shy. Perhaps the coop was occupied and she simply didn't want the confrontation? I can completely relate to that feeling... lol

 

[Acre4Me]

You can feed chicken eggs to chickens? I mean ten years ago my fam sat my mom down for giving our chickens leftover chicken as a "messed up thing to do." I would hate to be a hypocrite.

yes! Cooked eggs are fine. When I feed them back to the flock,I whir them up in the blender, shell and all, before I cook them. And we’ve fed cooked chicken meat to our chickens too. They are omnivores. We try to remove any nests from the run roofing (put there by whatever spring bird has decided to nest there) bc otherwise, the baby bird or two that invariably fall out of the nest become a delicious treat to the chickens.

 

[ElmCityChickens]

Mine seem to lay wherever they feel like it. I have a 3 year gal who has always decided that some days she just doesn't feel like a nestbox

Very helpful thank you.

 

[ElmCityChickens]

yes! Cooked eggs are fine. When I feed them back to the flock,I whir them up in the blender, shell and all, before I cook them. And we’ve fed cooked chicken meat to our chickens too. They are omnivores. We try to remove any nests from the run roofing (put there by whatever spring bird has decided to nest there) bc otherwise, the baby bird or two that invariably fall out of the nest become a delicious treat to the chickens.

OMG how syfy-esq...... I guess my family may have judged my mom too much... She apparently knew better. I'm learning the reality of the chickens now and should probably apologize to my mom for my judgemental criticisms..... Just another thing on the list really...

 

[chelseachook]

I test mine in water, if it sinks completely it is safe to eat and if it floats it is rotten. If it is in between then I wouldn't eat it.