Help! Our fertilized eggs aren't edible

[mamaC11]

I've been raising chickens off and on for years and I've never encountered this issue.
We have about 8-10 buff orpington hens in with 1 buff rooster. The eggs over the last month or two have been disgusting. I've never had a problem keeping a rooster in with the ladies, but maybe I need to remove him? Here's what we're facing:
We collect daily so the eggs aren't old (I promise. sometimes we collect 2x/day We never leave anything overnight unless we aren't home or a couple girls lay after we collect in the evening);.
We have 1 broody hen that is trying to sit on the eggs, but we aren't leaving any behind.
We leave them on the counter because we normally eat what we collect on a regular (family of 8)
When we crack them, there is no formed yolk. It's runny with blood vessels and a white film in it as if an embryo had already formed.
Sometimes they have an odd smell as if borderline rotten.

I thought my kids might be being careless and not collecting quickly enough, so I took the chore over and we have the same result.

Hens are about 2-3 years old. Fed Non GMO feed, constant access to clean water and multiple shelters. Lay in a nest box about 95% of the time. Heat here in GA has been insane this summer.
Should I remove the rooster and just not have fertile eggs? Deal with the broody hen? Or is there something else I could be missing such as an illness that could affect them?

We're eating old eggs in our fridge that we had put back to sell because 90% of the eggs currently being laid are inedible.
I'll crack one and try to upload a pic. Thanks for reading this novel! I'd appreciate any feedback.
Michelle

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I've been raising chickens off and on for years and I've never encountered this issue.
We have about 8-10 buff orpington hens in with 1 buff rooster. The eggs over the last month or two have been disgusting. I've never had a problem keeping a rooster in with the ladies, but maybe I need to remove him? Here's what we're facing:
We collect daily so the eggs aren't old (I promise. sometimes we collect 2x/day We never leave anything overnight unless we aren't home or a couple girls lay after we collect in the evening);.
We have 1 broody hen that is trying to sit on the eggs, but we aren't leaving any behind.
We leave them on the counter because we normally eat what we collect on a regular (family of 8)
When we crack them, there is no formed yolk. It's runny with blood vessels and a white film in it as if an embryo had already formed.
Sometimes they have an odd smell as if borderline rotten.

I thought my kids might be being careless and not collecting quickly enough, so I took the chore over and we have the same result.

Hens are about 2-3 years old. Fed Non GMO feed, constant access to clean water and multiple shelters. Lay in a nest box about 95% of the time. Heat here in GA has been insane this summer.
Should I remove the rooster and just not have fertile eggs? Deal with the broody hen? Or is there something else I could be missing such as an illness that could affect them?

We're eating old eggs in our fridge that we had put back to sell because 90% of the eggs currently being laid are inedible.
I'll crack one and try to upload a pic. Thanks for reading this novel! I'd appreciate any feedback.
Michelle

Where do you store eggs immediately after collecting? Has it been hotter than normal outside? Have you considered breaking the broody/ letting her hatch eggs?

 

[aart]

When we crack them, there is no formed yolk. It's runny with blood vessels and a white film in it as if an embryo had already formed.
Sometimes they have an odd smell as if borderline rotten.

Got pics?
There should be some kind of yolk if the egg was truly fertile.

 

[mamaC11]

Where do you store eggs immediately after collecting? Has it been hotter than normal outside? Have you considered breaking the broody/ letting her hatch eggs?

Thank you!
We store them inside on the counter.
The heat has definitely been insane.
We don't want her hatching as we just had a hen hatch out a nest in a different group of hens.
Unfortunately a raccoon has gotten into our coop and killed 2 hens this week, she hasn't shown broody signs since (we've moved them to a more secure run, no more losses).

 

[FrostRanger]

I'd keep them in the fridge until things cool down and see if that solves it. The ambient temps on your counter might be warm enough to allow the eggs to develop a bit

 

[mamaC11]

Here's a couple images of 2 different eggs.

One thought, these were dirtier than others, could that be an issue? A few girls refuse a nest box.

Could there be a bloom issue?

Edit: i cracked 5 normal ones before finding these 2. That's definitely an improvement.

 

[aart]

We store them inside on the counter.

Is your house air conditioned?

Here's a couple images of 2 different eggs.

I don't think this has anything to do with fertilization.
Not sure with would make the yolks unformed like that.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

It’s the heat. The hotter it gets the runnier the yolks get. When it’s hot hot outside and they are even out there for just 1-2 hours then are brought inside kept at room temperature they start to spoil. When it gets super hot here if I am not collecting the eggs immediately after they are laying them I just feed them back to the chickens.

 

[mamaC11]

Is your house air conditioned?


I don't think this has anything to do with fertilization.
Not sure with would make the yolks unformed like that.

Yes, it stays no warmer than 75.

The yolks looking like that is my biggest concern. I'm accustomed to blood spots meat spots etc, but an unformed yolk is kinda odd.

 

[Mrs. K]

Being as you had to open 5 to get the two and things are getting better, I am tempted to think it is the heat - yesterday it was 111 degrees here, and really that is warmer than a broody hen.

If there is a terrible smell, and if your trouble comes from one or two hens - I would think it is an infection.

But if it was all of the eggs, and it is clearing up slightly - I think it is the heat.

Mrs K