My Dominiques are laying sandpaper eggs?

[SC_Hugh]

OK, the Dom eggs taste fine (they both lay almost everyday), their shells are totally hard, but they are bumpy like rough sandpaper.

Do other people have Dominiques or other breeds that lay rough eggs?

My Cochin always lays super smooth eggs, the Doms shells are rough.

Any thoughts?

--Hugh

 

[petesgirl]

My dominiques haven't laid yet. I had no idea they laid rough eggs?! They are about 20 weeks old.

 

[ybmagpye]

Just wonderin'... my Faverolles' first eggs tended to be rough, sandpaperish. I wonder if your birds are young. Maybe the roughness is just their innards getting fine tuned to the point of laying smooth eggs. I don't think any birdies want to lay rough eggs - too hard on the innards on the way out. Just sayin'

 

[Suechick]

I sometimes get eggs with bumps on the shells. This usually happens right after I fill the oyster shell dish in the yard or when I've mixed DE into their food. DE - diatomaceous earth is a powder from microscopic organisms that is safe for the chickens and controls insects because on a microscopic level it is like broken glass and rips up the insects, it is also mostly calcium as it is the left over skeletal remains of the creatures.

Anyway, I believe that the bumps on the eggs are from extra calcium in the chickens, and I think its harmless.

 

[SC_Hugh]

Well, I think you all are onto something. My three girls are all about 18 months. They have been eating quite a bit of the oyster shell lately as it is "free choice" available.

The Cochin's eggs are always super smooth, it is the two Dominiques (both of them) that are laying the bumpy eggs. I think it is better that they have adequate calcium in their diet, than slightly bumpy eggs. Maybe I should move the oyster shell supply a little further away from their pellet trough (make them walk for it). I have been eying the little metal feeder for oyster shell at the feed store, but that feeder is even larger than the plastic cup that I have been using.

What types of feeders do you all use for oyster shell?

Thanks much,

--Hugh

 

[ChixFlix]

Hi

Of my 6 Rhode Island Reds, one is laying bumpy, rough sandpaper feeling eggs.

I do not give the girls any calcium or dia. earth; just Purina Layena and Scratch. They do "eat" the sand/dirt in the mornings when I dump the old water onto the ground-it's funny watching them "eat" the water with dirt. I guess it helps them digest or something.

When I use the eggs, the shell does not feel as strong as other eggs. They don't collapse, but they feel thinner than others.

The rough, bumpy egg thing started about 4 months ago. Girls look and act healthy, so I'm not worried, just wondering.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The BR here has the speckled calcium deposits on her egg. All others are smooth, uniform color.

 

[chickenfarmer17]

its from extra calcium it happens i had a red star that did the same thing

 

[Gypsy07]

I think some hens are just more prone to laying odd eggs than others. I have about 30 hens all in the same coop and all eating the same food. And I have ONE who consistently lays a very rough sandpaper egg just like the one you're describing. I'm sure it's the same hen cause the eggs are always pretty much the exact same size, shape and colour. I also have one hen who always lays a longish pointy egg and one hen who lays an egg with loads of speckles but only on the fat end.

 

[chickengirl82]

I have a BR that is laying sandpaper eggs but hers also have spots of color of what the egg should be. She is getting up there in years and is tending to go broody more so when our crazy weather straightens out I am going to have her just sit on eggs.