Mildly Rotten Egg?

[DixxieChick]

I have about 40 chickens, last spring's babies and a motley crue of all different breeds, and about the last two months I have been getting an egg that smells rotten when cracked open. It doesn't smell atrocious like a rotten duck egg that didn't hatch in the summer heat, but gross enough that I throw the rotty one out. Now I check every egg instead of cracking straight in the bowl. I missed it once or twice and a rotty one got in the bowl of 1.5-2 dozen I was using for a casserole. I made them anyway and no one got sick.

It looks totally normal on the outside (brown with a few white specks) and the inside when cracked open is normal too. The only pics of rotten eggs I've found on BYC are nasty - black or green inside, and Look rotten. I've had chickens four years and never come across this.

I give away eggs to family/friends/ups guy, etc, and am hesitant to anymore. I also finally have enough eggs to sell them by our mailbox (i have 8 dozen at the moment), but I'm scared of ruining my reputation forever if someone gets a rotten smelling egg. I have a strong stomach and have eaten all sorts of crazy things - but this rotten egg grosses me out. I can't imagine what my neighbors would do if they got one.

I can't figure out what's going on. Has anyone heard of this? Any advice/ thoughts/ musings would be appreciated. Thank you!!

 

[nuthatched]

First you need to identify the bird that's laying the weird ones, maybe section them into groups if 10 and put different color food coloring in their vents with a q tip, not red, though. And work your way through until you find the culprit.

 

[RememberTheWay]

First you need to identify the bird that's laying the weird ones, maybe section them into groups if 10 and put different color food coloring in their vents with a q tip, not red, though. And work your way through until you find the culprit.

How does the food coloring actually get on the eggs if it's dry?

 

[aart]

How does the food coloring actually get on the eggs if it's dry?

It get up inside.

 

[Ponypoor]

It get up inside.

Great video!