Mysterious “Fairy Eggs”?!?

[ANiceKaren]

Hi friends! I’m asking this question for a friend of mine… any help appreciated! She has a 2 year old Lavendar Orpington who is constantly laying tiny yolk-less eggs. Here is what she says…
I’m totally perplexed
I know this is a fairy egg or fart egg. What ever you want to call it.
But they came from my 2 year old lavender Orpington. The one on the left was Sunday the one on the right today.
Sunday I’m not sure but today’s I am. I watched her do it. She was in the nest box, had been for a little while, then got up jumped out and plop. The fairy egg.
I know they are a fluke in the system. But two in 48 hours??
And they don’t look like how her eggs used to look. They were much lighter and not speckled.
I got another fairy egg a few weeks ago too. A little bigger but I don’t know who did that one

Should I be worried something is wrong with my sweet Lucy
She was 2 in March. Meyer hatchery lavender Orpington

Abdomen feels normal. Not hard or hot

Did lay well last year

Hard molt that she struggled with. Vitamin deficiency in November

It’s like she’s not maturing and releasing yokes.

She’s getting in the box. But nothing happens.
Any help for my sweet friend is so appreciated! Has anyone experienced this before?! Here is a pic for size..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They are seen more often as hens are starting up production, or slowing down production to take a break. My guess by the breed, and age of the hen, combined with time of year the hen will stop laying for a month or two before resuming. Many hens stop producing or slow down during the heat of summer.

They are nothing to worry about. The body will treat any bit of yolk as a full size yolk and process it through. Eggs are darker because the same amount of pigment is applied to a small egg as there's applied to a big egg.

 

[ANiceKaren]

They are seen more often as hens are starting up production, or slowing down production to take a break. My guess by the breed, and age of the hen, combined with time of year the hen will stop laying for a month or two before resuming. Many hens stop producing or slow down during the heat of summer.

They are nothing to worry about. The body will treat any bit of yolk as a full size yolk and process it through. Eggs are darker because the same amount of pigment is applied to a small egg as there's applied to a big egg.

Thank you!

 

[Romaana]

Hi @ANiceKaren is this hen still laying fairy eggs? I had a hen who started laying fairy eggs a few months after she had been laying normal eggs. She laid them for months before going into her first moult. After her moult, she laid normal eggs for a while and then went back to laying only fairy eggs for months until she stopped laying all together. A few months of not laying anything at all went by. She then began experiencing laboured breathing and I was told that she was dying. She died 3 days later.

I believe she had a reproductive issue. She may have been laying internally and succumbed to egg-yolk peritonitis. That's just my guess though, and I don't have anything to base it off of.

I'm not sure whether your friend's hen will suffer the same fate, but it should be reassuring to know that she did nothing wrong as a chicken keeper. Sometimes hens just have health problems that we aren't able to pin point.

 

[ANiceKaren]

Hi @ANiceKaren is this hen still laying fairy eggs? I had a hen who started laying fairy eggs a few months after she had been laying normal eggs. She laid them for months before going into her first moult. After her moult, she laid normal eggs for a while and then went back to laying only fairy eggs for months until she stopped laying all together. A few months of not laying anything at all went by. She then began experiencing laboured breathing and I was told that she was dying. She died 3 days later.

I believe she had a reproductive issue. She may have been laying internally and succumbed to egg-yolk peritonitis. That's just my guess though, and I don't have anything to base it off of.

I'm not sure whether your friend's hen will suffer the same fate, but it should be reassuring to know that she did nothing wrong as a chicken keeper. Sometimes hens just have health problems that we aren't able to pin point.

Aww thanks for this reply! So sorry to hear about your girl! My friends hen is still laying yolkless fairy eggs! I don’t think she has layed a normal egg in past 6-8 months. She seems fine otherwise so my friend just keeps collecting the little eggs hoping her girl is ok!

 

[preciouschick]

Hi friends! I’m asking this question for a friend of mine… any help appreciated! She has a 2 year old Lavendar Orpington who is constantly laying tiny yolk-less eggs. Here is what she says…
I’m totally perplexed
I know this is a fairy egg or fart egg. What ever you want to call it.
But they came from my 2 year old lavender Orpington. The one on the left was Sunday the one on the right today.
Sunday I’m not sure but today’s I am. I watched her do it. She was in the nest box, had been for a little while, then got up jumped out and plop. The fairy egg.
I know they are a fluke in the system. But two in 48 hours??
And they don’t look like how her eggs used to look. They were much lighter and not speckled.
I got another fairy egg a few weeks ago too. A little bigger but I don’t know who did that one

Should I be worried something is wrong with my sweet Lucy
She was 2 in March. Meyer hatchery lavender Orpington

Abdomen feels normal. Not hard or hot

Did lay well last year

Hard molt that she struggled with. Vitamin deficiency in November

It’s like she’s not maturing and releasing yokes.

She’s getting in the box. But nothing happens.
Any help for my sweet friend is so appreciated! Has anyone experienced this before?! Here is a pic for size..

i have had 1 that small from my ISA browns.

 

[SBChickenLady]

Hi @ANiceKaren is this hen still laying fairy eggs? I had a hen who started laying fairy eggs a few months after she had been laying normal eggs. She laid them for months before going into her first moult. After her moult, she laid normal eggs for a while and then went back to laying only fairy eggs for months until she stopped laying all together. A few months of not laying anything at all went by. She then began experiencing laboured breathing and I was told that she was dying. She died 3 days later.

I believe she had a reproductive issue. She may have been laying internally and succumbed to egg-yolk peritonitis. That's just my guess though, and I don't have anything to base it off of.

I'm not sure whether your friend's hen will suffer the same fate, but it should be reassuring to know that she did nothing wrong as a chicken keeper. Sometimes hens just have health problems that we aren't able to pin point.

I had a similar experience with my girl, and she was diagnosed with EYP. I would say to keep monitoring the hen and make sure she is acting normal. If there is any swelling of the read abdomen area (below vent or between legs), runny poop, or seems like she is trying to labor with no outcome, I would suggest having her seen by a vet. Wishing them all the best.