"Leather" egg

[Chuckleberry Chickens]

Greetings all.

My wife, neighbours and I have our first flock on the go and we found an odd egg yesterday. There was a membrane, but no shell. The chickens are seven and half months old and healthy.

I searched through BYC and the only reference I found to "leather" eggs mentioned molting as well, which isn't an issue for our birds. That did get me thinking that maybe some recent modifications we did to the coop (we cut holes in the side to allow for easier removal of the poop boards) might have upset them and caused the odd egg. We used hammers and power tools on the coop at the time.

Any thoughts? I have a photo of the egg, but I don't see a way to attach it to the post.

Thanks for your time.

 

[crazyforfeatheredfriends]

We've had one of these "oddities" happen as well. It seems that when the birds are young and just getting the hang of laying, this can happen. It also could be a lack of calcium in their diet. I'm sure the next egg layed by that chicken will be normal, it was that way for us

Hope all ends up well!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

if you scare them you can get a shell less egg, it happens, if you start to get them often you need to worry. I like to take them to school or show them off, to keep a shell less egg you need to put it in a plastic bag or something so they don't evaporate and shrivel up to nothing

 

[Imp]

chuckleberry chickens,

Here's a link with some info. It's a fairly common occurence.

Imp

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

It happens. Usually in a hen that is just starting to lay. It's normal.