Really REALLY deformed eggs

[collington]

We recently adopted two chickens from a local school that didn't want them. (We didn't have any chickens prior.)

One of them is laying regularly. (Thank you, Princess Feather Pants.)

The other one, as far as we can tell, has only laid one normal egg since she arrived five weeks ago. She has, however, "laid" two other really deformed ones. I say "laid" because they weren't in the nesting box, they were under the roosting bars. Please see the photo below.

BTW - I don't think the inside of the egg was brown, it just looks that way because it mixed in with our bedding.




When we brought the chickens home I noticed that this same chicken had some dirty feathers so we caught her and gave her a bath. Her poor little backside was caked in poo. Otherwise though, her vent, feathers and skin all looked healthy. We've noticed they're starting to get dirty again, though.

She seems quite perky and happy - and to be frank we're keeping them as pets, not solely for eggs. So I don't care that she's not laying, but I do want to know if I need to worry about her health.

Should I be concerned?

Thanks!

 

[minihorse927]

Wow, that is interesting looking. Is that the membrane that should be inside of the egg shell? What kind of chickens are these that you got and do you know how old they might be? The main concern I have is if she would end up having internal blockages (egg bound) and that could cause you to lose her if you can not get it cleared up.

 

[PrairieChickens]

How old are the hens and how long have they been laying? Hens at the very beginning of their laying cycle and hens at the very end are more likely to produce peculiar or deformed eggs, though if a hen has a problem with her inner workings, she may never be a solid layer. In most cases, hens who cannot lay proper eggs are otherwise healthy birds, but it doesn't hurt to look into chicken health problems that might be causing the misshapen eggs. Better safe than sorry, especially if it's a pet chicken and not just livestock.

 

[katbriar]

Search for "lash". I haven't had one do this, but from my reading it sounds uncommon, but normal and (thankfully) temporary.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/473989/weird-egg-weird-clump-lash-graphic-pics