Really thick egg whites????

[MagruderPie]

Hi All,

I have a flock of about 20 chickens, free-range on a fenced acre with a large coop. They are very prolific layers, but their egg whites are extremely thick! As thick as duck eggs! Does anybody know why this could be?

Some stats:

We have horses and they love to eat the horse poo. Oh, and goats too.
The eggs are fertile.
We pick up eggs daily but sometimes wait a day or two before putting them in the fridge.
They eat a mix of organic lay pellet and scratch, and leftover table scraps.
Various breeds: some australorps,, leghorns, barred rocks, golden comets, and mixes.

The yolks are also extremely dark orange (and super yummy).

Thanks for any ideas!

Joslyn

 

[infiniti]

I know this is an old thread, but I see that it is unanswered. I am having this same trouble...and am wondering why the egg whites are super thick. The only difference is my birds are caged, and the eggs so far are infertile. Any ideas or suggestions?