Oddly colored hatching eggs

[LaurenRitz]

I started a group of 14 eggs February 1st. 12 were from my rangers, the other two I thought were the first spring eggs from one of my older hens. I now think they may be the first eggs from one of the young pullets.

The shells are thick enough that I can't candle them, so I can't tell what's going on inside. But those two eggs have a darker ring around them. They had this when I set them, but it seems to be getting darker and I'm concerned that they might be rotting.

One of the two was newly laid (still warm when I gathered it) and the other was a few days old.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have a lot of trouble candling my dark green eggs too so I understand. That pigment can be hard to see through.

I'm not sure what caused that on two eggs laid on different days. I'd guess a glitch in the shell gland when it was laying on the pigment during the last little bit before it was laid. Strange that it would happen to two separate eggs.

That should have nothing to do with the egg rotting inside the shell. Try sniffing the eggs. The shells are porous. If they are rotting you should be able to smell the rotten egg sell. There is nothing subtle about this. If an egg is rotting you will know.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I smell nothing.