Moldy, Watery Eggs ?!?

[schmije]

A couple of weeks ago DH went to sell some eggs to a neighbor, and when he opened the carton two of the eggs had MOLD growing on them! He switched the carton for a non-moldy one, and when I got home from work, we went thru the whole stash to check everything. We found several eggs with mold in several different cartons. The strangest thing was that the eggs all came from the same chicken! Isabel has always laid Jumbo, thin shelled eggs, and she's had problems with the shells being so thin that they break easily. I cracked the moldiest egg open, and the yolk was stuck to the moldy part of the shell. It grossed me out so badly that I dug a hole and buried the eggs to keep the animals from eating them out of the compost pile.

This morning I found a couple more 'starting to mold' eggs, so I decided to remove all of Isabel's eggs from our 'for sale' cartons and scramble them up for the animals. When I broke the first one open, part of the white was really watery. Same story with all of her others - including the one she laid yesterday. I let the 'water' run out in to a glass, then put the yolks and whites into a separate bowl. I scrambled & cooked them. They look and smell normal now.

I assume that the mold is caused by the excess water in the eggs, but what could be causing that? All of our girls free range and have access to layer feed, water & oyster shell at all times. Isabel is our oldest chicken (although we don't know how old, since we got her after she was grown), so I wonder if her age could have something to do with it. Is it safe to feed these eggs back to the animals if they've been cooked? I have never heard of this, so I'm hoping that somebody will have some ideas.

 

[schmije]

One more thing... None of the eggs were older than 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[patandchickens]

How certain are you that the eggs were dry and clean, put into dry and clean cartons? I'm wondering about an alternate scenario where there was maybe some dampness such that mold grew on some poo etc on the outside of the eggs, or even started on the carton and 'jumped' to the eggs, and perhaps the mold on the eggs *caused* the watery whites? (I know mold can change the consistency of other things, and eggshells do have pores, so maybe...?)

Just a theory, I really dunno,

good luck,

Pat

 

[schmije]

Well, her eggs are the only ones big enough that they touch the top of the carton, so it COULD be possible. Although I wouldn't think her egg from yesterday would have had enough time to be affected by that. It (and a couple others) wasn't moldy yet, but was watery inside. I'm fairly sure that the eggs and cartons are dry when I put them away, but again it COULD be possible that they weren't.

The first time it happened, we thought that maybe something in the fridge had dripped on the cartons, and since hers touched the top, that could explain why they were the only ones affected. But now that it's continuing to happen, and with new eggs, it makes me think it's got more to do with HER. I don't know.

 

[Chicabee19]

You could test them --

Separate her eggs from all the others.

Place and watch batches of 2 or 3 eggs using different variables -- countertop, refrigerator in a bowl, refrigerator in an egg carton, leave some in a nest, leave some outside on the ground, etc...

See what happens to each batch.

 

[AngieChick]

I'm with Chicabee, I think this calls for a little experimentation.

 

[Gindee77]

I wonder if it has anything to do with using styrofoam cartons. It seems to me that when I use the styrofoam cartons, they sweat so badly, I hate to use them. They seen to hold moisture so much. Maybe that could be a factor if you use them?

 

[schmije]

I could see how the styrofoam could exaggerate the moldy problem.

But I'm wondering why her eggs are the only ones with watery type fluid in them along with the egg white. Even on eggs i collect the same day i crack them, still exhibits the same watery fluid that the 2 week old ones have.

 

[SwampChicken]

How old is the hen laying the thin shelled watery eggs? I read that the older the hen gets the shells become thin and the egg whites become thin and watery. The mold maybe because of this I don't know. May check temperature of refrigerator. These eggs with less protection may need cooler refrigerator or cull the hen.

 

[Demeter]

I also think it has to do with age. Did she lay eggs like this when you first got her?? (thin shell)