Fishy Smelling Eggs

[CityslickerHomestead]

I’ve researched on here and Google the potential causes for fishy smelling yolks. However I couldn’t find anything that applied to me... I’m hoping someone here can help me find the culprit!
I have seven hens all a year old. Eggs laid on the 22nd and 27th of March from only my SL Polish had yolks that smelled undeniably fishy.
Research online says diets with cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, and brown egg layers can be the cause. However those don’t apply to my hens.

Here’s what I know they’ve been eating the past month:
Nutrena NatureWise Hearty Hen
Country Companion Scratch Feed
Their own eggshells
NatureWise brand grit
Table scraps consisting of:
Plums
Mangoes
Apples
Kiwi
Cooked white rice
Stale bread
Scrambled eggs
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Broccoli
Basil


I recently started free ranging them about two weeks ago. Nothing has grown in yet, and it’s still too cold for most insects, but they’ve been pecking at the dirt. My yard consists of old clover fields with some alfalfa, but again nothing is growing out here yet. They only things they can really peck at are dead grass an maybe mule deer poop?

 

[sourland]

I don't know. Brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli all have their own odor, but it's not 'fishy' to me. Hopefully someone will have better input.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

I don't know. Brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli all have their own odor, but it's not 'fishy' to me. Hopefully someone will have better input.

I guess I should also mention I’ve given them all these items many times in the past and have never experienced stinky eggs before. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t contributing to it now!
Here is where they free range. I don’t know if that helps to see what they may be eating in my yard...

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

The stinky egg saga continues. More fishy eggs laid yesterday. So that’s a confirmed Marc 22-April 5th of bad eggs.

It’s only impacting my white egg layers (yolk) which goes against the information I’ve been finding that it’s a brown egg layer issue.

I’ve stopped feeding back their own eggs to them, in case the fishy eggs will taint the rest of the flock. I really want to solve this issue.

 

[aart]

Research online says diets with cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil

Are you positive that these ingredients are not in your feeds?

 

[Cindy in PA]

Canola/Rapeseed is in the Hearty Hen Layer Feed. I believe the OP is stating that rapeseed it usually a problem in brown egg layers, not white, I still would suspect the canola.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

I thought I posted this reply yesterday - but never did. But to add to @Cindy in PA about Hearty Hen containing canola, I’ve been feeding them hearty hen for at least six months and this is the first time I’ve noticed the smell. I give my eggs to family and friends and have been doing so since they started laying in August and they have not noticed smells either.

(original reply I forgot to post is below)

I am searching my brain for anything that could contain those ingredients.
Before posting I looked at the ingredients on their feed and scratch and those are not listed. I searched online for “hidden” ingredients in these products but found nothing.
The other treats they’ve been given are either raw produce or foods I’ve cooked in my home that do not contain those oils. I don’t even know where to buy those.
Also it’s my two SL Polish only, and not the other five brown layers. Supposedly there is a defect in brown layers that causes the smell...

My only other guess is there is something in my yard that is causing it? That one tree they hang out by is probably a juniper of some sort? The grass is mostly dead still and the few insects that are out right now are centipedes, spiders, and maybe box elders on the warmer days. The only other things they might be eating is mule deer poop? But the mule deer munch on the old alfalfa and clover, but maybe a nearby ranch grows rapeseed? that’s not a common crop here. My part of the state grows alfalfa, clover, barley, corn, and hemp. I’m not ruling out rapeseed, but if someone is growing it I’d be very surprised.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

Canola/Rapeseed is in the Hearty Hen Layer Feed. I believe the OP is stating that rapeseed it usually a problem in brown egg layers, not white, I still would suspect the canola.

I plan on switching their feed when their current bag runs out, but I don’t think that’s the issue.

I also plan on making multiple 10-egg frittatas soon and will sniff each yolk! Hopefully I don’t gag again.

Plus all the eggs I’m giving away will not include any from my polish. Just in case. I really hope if I can’t find the culprit the issue will resolve itself.