Hard Brown "things" inside my eggs - what in the world?

[PacsMan]

I must have one or two hens that have a problem. I frequently get blood, or meat spots in my eggs.
I know that bloodspots are "caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct" and that less than 1% of all eggs produced have blood spots. But I'm getting them a lot more than that!

Recently, I've been getting, small brown hard... things, close to the blood spots and I can't identify them.

I sell and give away several dozen eggs a week, and no one has said anything, but I'm sure they're getting hard things in their eggs too.

What in the world is it, and how do I get rid of it??

 

[Akane]

How long have they been laying? New layers have blood and meat spots a lot more often than 1%. Sometimes it's more like 50-75% for awhile. After the first year it probably goes down to that 1% but I've noticed after a molt it will pick back up again for awhile. Anything that interferes with their egg laying seems to increase it for a week or so. If they are older layers then how many and what quality of roos do you have? Physical trauma can increase the odds of ruptured blood vessels and tissue coming off with the yolk. A really rough roo or too many roos mating the hens could increase the size and amount of meat spots. Illness can also cause it but is a much less likely possibility unless you've noticed symptoms. Other than that sometimes it's just genetic. Occasionally large amounts of meat spots will come from certain lines and hatching from a hen that tended to have lots of eggs with meat spots may create offspring that do it as well. If no other cause can be found it would be best not to hatch from those chickens and bring in new blood from a different source.

 

[PacsMan]

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These hens are just over a year old. Born Feb 1, 2009. They haven't molted yet.


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No Roos... we're in a residential area.

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No symptoms that I've noticed.

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So, my concern is;
I've seen blood spots. It's red and looks like blood, and not a huge deal, but I haven't seen, or heard of hard (well, not hard, but 'physical') meat spots... is having those odd?

 

[DaveD]

Try posting this in the Emergency / Disease section. They may havea good idea

 

[Keg]

can you post photos? might be small amounts of tissue coming away from their oviduct, which isn't unusual. is it every single egg? if not, what proportion?

 

[chickerdoodle]

I can't believe I'm saying this but have you de--wormed them? I know they can pass worms in eggs

but I don't think they look like what you describe--just had to throw it out there in case.