question about eggs

[awagnon]

I have a 1 year old red sex-link who is/has been a very good layer. Only took a couple of days off since she started laying. She started out laying very pretty large, smooth brown eggs. A few weeks into her laying career, her eggs became a lighter brown with some darker brown spots and very rough shells like sandpaper. She has never shown any signs of illness. She has been acting normally. Alert, eating/drinking well, eating oyster shell I keep available, as needed, normal droppings, not molting. I feed the flock Nutrena Organic feed, I believe it's 18% protein.

Today she laid her usual rough shelled egg, but it had a few spots of yellow yolk on the shell when I collected them this morning. No eggs were broken and they were all 3 there. I only have 3 layers at the moment. Is it just an anomaly that happens from time to time or is this something that is a precursor for a serious issue I need to worry about?? She's running around today normally with her sisters happily scratching the grass on the bug hunt and squats every time I walk by. lol

Looking forward to all y 'all's helpful insights.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

See if that is repeated.

 

[Mom4ever]

I have a 1 year old red sex-link who is/has been a very good layer. Only took a couple of days off since she started laying. She started out laying very pretty large, smooth brown eggs. A few weeks into her laying career, her eggs became a lighter brown with some darker brown spots and very rough shells like sandpaper. She has never shown any signs of illness. She has been acting normally. Alert, eating/drinking well, eating oyster shell I keep available, as needed, normal droppings, not molting. I feed the flock Nutrena Organic feed, I believe it's 18% protein.

Today she laid her usual rough shelled egg, but it had a few spots of yellow yolk on the shell when I collected them this morning. No eggs were broken and they were all 3 there. I only have 3 layers at the moment. Is it just an anomaly that happens from time to time or is this something that is a precursor for a serious issue I need to worry about?? She's running around today normally with her sisters happily scratching the grass on the bug hunt and squats every time I walk by. lol

Looking forward to all y 'all's helpful insights.

I actually just signed in to ask and search for possibly the same thing. One of my hens either a Amber Link, Sexlink or Isa brown eggs have been found to have hard bunches/lumps on them. Than yesterday I had 3 eggs that has a patches of gritty/sandy tiny specks all bunched together on the outer shell. I was able to scrape them off with my nail. Definitely not normal and want to make sure I deal with an issue if we have one. My husband said Calcium deposits but not sure.

 

[FunClucks]

I actually just signed in to ask and search for possibly the same thing. One of my hens either a Amber Link, Sexlink or Isa brown eggs have been found to have hard bunches/lumps on them. Than yesterday I had 3 eggs that has a patches of gritty/sandy tiny specks all bunched together on the outer shell. I was able to scrape them off with my nail. Definitely not normal and want to make sure I deal with an issue if we have one. My husband said Calcium deposits but not sure.

Sounds like you have calcium deposits. Not a big deal. Just means they're eating plenty of calcium. The calcium deposits for my hens' eggs come and go. Not a health issue for the chicken, just a slight malfunction in the shell glad I believe. There's an Article about egg quality you might want to read.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[FunClucks]

I have a 1 year old red sex-link who is/has been a very good layer. Only took a couple of days off since she started laying. She started out laying very pretty large, smooth brown eggs. A few weeks into her laying career, her eggs became a lighter brown with some darker brown spots and very rough shells like sandpaper. She has never shown any signs of illness. She has been acting normally. Alert, eating/drinking well, eating oyster shell I keep available, as needed, normal droppings, not molting. I feed the flock Nutrena Organic feed, I believe it's 18% protein.

Today she laid her usual rough shelled egg, but it had a few spots of yellow yolk on the shell when I collected them this morning. No eggs were broken and they were all 3 there. I only have 3 layers at the moment. Is it just an anomaly that happens from time to time or is this something that is a precursor for a serious issue I need to worry about?? She's running around today normally with her sisters happily scratching the grass on the bug hunt and squats every time I walk by. lol

Looking forward to all y 'all's helpful insights.

The calcium deposits on the outside of the shell and the yolk on the shell are unrelated issues. Calcium is not a big deal - see the Article in my previous post. For the yolk - could be she had a follicle rupture (kinda like a soft shelled egg but not quite), and therefore had some yolk from that on the shell? She may have eaten the rest of the ruptured follicle. If so, this is not a big deal and happens occasionally.

If it happens again, like Wyorp Rock said, could be a sign of something else that is not right inside your chicken. Post again if it happens again, with pics if you have them. Also if you chicken changes her behavior from her normal happy self to anything else, take pics of her not feeling well so we can see what she looks like - this can help us assess.

 

[Mom4ever]

Sounds like you have calcium deposits. Not a big deal. Just means they're eating plenty of calcium. The calcium deposits for my hens' eggs come and go. Not a health issue for the chicken, just a slight malfunction in the shell glad I believe. There's an Article about egg quality you might want to read.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

Very interesting article. We shouldn't have excess in calcium as they free range most of the day and a pretty good organic feed. I am wondering stress or over crowding. We do have 16 hens to 2 roosters. Trying to move the other rooster to another coop to watch over our 14 orpingtons.
The coops is pretty big.

 

[FunClucks]

Very interesting article. We shouldn't have excess in calcium as they free range most of the day and a pretty good organic feed. I am wondering stress or over crowding. We do have 16 hens to 2 roosters. Trying to move the other rooster to another coop to watch over our 14 orpingtons.
The coops is pretty big.

I have several hens who do calcium deposits in various locations and at various frequency. One hen just recently became head hen of her own coop (lording it over the pullets), and got very happy about it. Her egg size increased by 20% (she wasn't lowest hen in the pecking order any more and not being picked on by the ISA Browns). Happy as she is now, the amount of calcium and distribution of calcium deposits on her egg hasn't changed much. Might be a bit more now even since she's eating more calcium rocks unmolested. As long as the shell is strong, I call it a win. Some of the calcium deposits come off upon washing, but not many.

ETA: My understanding is that calcium deposits are a genetic shell gland issue. In a production flock, or in a breeding program, hens that laid eggs with calcium deposits would be culled. This tells me there's really no way to fix it, it's just how that hen does things. As long as the shell is strong, it's a cosmetic issue. The eggs inside the shells are perfectly fine.

 

[Mom4ever]

I have several hens who do calcium deposits in various locations and at various frequency. One hen just recently became head hen of her own coop (lording it over the pullets), and got very happy about it. Her egg size increased by 20% (she wasn't lowest hen in the pecking order any more and not being picked on by the ISA Browns). Happy as she is now, the amount of calcium and distribution of calcium deposits on her egg hasn't changed much. Might be a bit more now even since she's eating more calcium rocks unmolested. As long as the shell is strong, I call it a win. Some of the calcium deposits come off upon washing, but not many.

ETA: My understanding is that calcium deposits are a genetic shell gland issue. In a production flock, or in a breeding program, hens that laid eggs with calcium deposits would be culled. This tells me there's really no way to fix it, it's just how that hen does things. As long as the shell is strong, it's a cosmetic issue. The eggs inside the shells are perfectly fine.

Yes I did notice the eggs are fine, just doesn't look the best. I can understand why they were culled especially if their eggs are being sold.

 

[awagnon]

The calcium deposits on the outside of the shell and the yolk on the shell are unrelated issues. Calcium is not a big deal - see the Article in my previous post. For the yolk - could be she had a follicle rupture (kinda like a soft shelled egg but not quite), and therefore had some yolk from that on the shell? She may have eaten the rest of the ruptured follicle. If so, this is not a big deal and happens occasionally.

If it happens again, like Wyorp Rock said, could be a sign of something else that is not right inside your chicken. Post again if it happens again, with pics if you have them. Also if you chicken changes her behavior from her normal happy self to anything else, take pics of her not feeling well so we can see what she looks like - this can help us assess.

Thanks for the input. She laid a perfectly clean, albeit still sandpapery shelled egg this morning and is doin her normal chickenin' with her posse today. lol

 

[tn_artist]

Chickens can take weeks to months to get their system regulated once they start laying.
Some lay eggs with extra calcium, some lay eggs without a shell, some lay fairy eggs.
Some of my girls lay a nice smooth, one color egg with almost a shine it's so smooth. Others lay a smooth egg with spots and you can feel the spots as a slight raised area. Some lay a matte finish egg with a less than smooth texture. Picture is some of my eggs with a matte finish in the middle and bottom of the picture.
I have had eggs that had clusters of calcium bumps that looked like insect egg clusters. They mess with my head a bit.