Messy eggs?

[bpoore04]

Does anyone else get messy eggs?? Most days they are so clean or just have a little bit of poo on them but every once in a while all of the eggs are so nasty and I have to scrub them so hard to get it all off. And it’s not all poo either. Is this happening to anybody else or just me?

 

[Wootengirl]

Happens to me! I had one the other day is was like yolk was on it with feathers all over it.

 

[bpoore04]

Happens to me! I had one the other day is was like yolk was on it with feathers all over it.

Yes!! So glad I’m not the only one

 

[aart]

And it’s not all poo either.

What else is it?
Wet days here make for dirtier eggs from dirty feet.

 

[bpoore04]

What else is it?
Wet days here make for dirtier eggs from dirty feet.

I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s like maybe some contents of egg and a bunch of feathers and shavings get stuck to it. The next time I get one I’ll post a picture on here. And it’s not just one egg either it’s all the eggs in the nesting box!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sounds like @Wootengirl had a broken egg. What are you using for bedding? @bpoore04 , are your nests clean? Are your hens sleeping in the nests? If so, you may have a crowding problem. If the roosts are higher than the nests, the hens will want to sleep on the roosts. But if they are crowded or if there is a bully, then someone may sleep in the nests and, well... messy nest = messy eggs.

Edit: spelling.

 

[bpoore04]

What are you using for bedding? @bpoore04 , are your nests clean? Are your hens sleeping in the nests? If so, you may have a crowding problem. If the roosts are higher than the nests, the hens will want to sleep on the roosts. But if they are crowded or if there is a bully, then someone may sleep in the nests and, well... messy nest = messy eggs.

Edit: spelling.

I use pine shavings because that’s all I had last time I put them in there. Most of the time I use straw. None of my hens are sleeping in the nest boxes, they all roost.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What do you feed? Do you provide oyster shell in a separate container for the hens to take as they need? It really sounds like broken eggs, which means either weak shells or an egg-eater.

 

[bpoore04]

What do you feed? Do you provide oyster shell in a separate container for the hens to take as they need? It really sounds like broken eggs, which means either weak shells or an egg-eater.

I feed chick starter so my cockerel and the ones that aren’t laying don’t get the unnecessary things they don’t need like what comes in layer feed. The chick starter also is higher in protein. Yes, they have oyster shells. I don’t ever find a broken egg shell but I’ll occasionally get a cracked egg

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hmm. Well, I am out of ideas. Let's ask @aart and @Eggcessive what they think.