Ridges on eggs

[willkatdawson]

I posted a picture of just such an eggs and was asked if my flock had had any upper resp illness. I did recall my roo at the time did lose his voice for a while, but I don't remember the hens being sick. I looked up the side affects of just such an illness and reproductive problems were one of the many side affects. They called it a paper bag egg.

this is the link to the thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=297945

 

[tnchickenut]

Yup, yup, and yup... Infectious bronchitis. It is so contagious! And the thing is... it can be in your flock and your only symptoms be these wrinkled eggs, "empty eggs", and some sneezing/weezing.

Here is a link with a few small pictures. http://www.infectious-bronchitis.com/signs-lesions-ib.asp

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
Very interesting and great info! My 7 girls are 11 months old and egg production has slowed greatly. I didn't notice any illness in them. I have that ridged egg since she starting laying at about 6 months old. The past 3 weeks I've also gotten several soft shelled eggs on the poop board overnight too. Is there anything I can do at this point?

 

[tnchickenut]

I have read (and with no luck personally) that giving the vaccine durring a outbreak can help. I think I just caught it too late. I was stuck in the "chickens are easy" mindset... and truth is... there is more to it than meets the eye. It's all worth it and I keep expanding(!) but still... it's alot more than throwing out feed and water and giving them enough space.

I hope that it isn't what is going on in your flock, but if it is... I hope that this knowledge is power for you and you can save your egg production and fertility. It also can attack the liver! My flock never lost one, but their fertility is kapoot and they were my breeding stock!

 

[lilfoot]

No sneezing or wheezing that I know of but will spend some time
with the girls checking this out today.

I have ~45 hens and only 1-2 egg per day with this abnormality
so I don't think it is spreading? She's been laying the same for
quite some time (mth or 2)....so hopefully not Infectious Bronchitis.
It's not extreme like in the posted pictures but definitely odd.

Perhaps I should get the meds as a precaution anyways....so what
exactly do I ask for a the feed store? It is a vaccine or powder to
add to their water or...? Thanks!

 

[lilfoot]

I will also stop adding the grit to their feed.
My baby pig feeder comes tomorrow so they'll
have it & their DEarth separately from now on.

 

[tnchickenut]

I got my vaccine from firststatevetsupply.com and it is a live vaccine (they have two links "live" and not). As for your local store... just ask for a infectious bronchitis vaccine... they sometimes combine it with newcastle... like first state does. they call it newcastle-bronchitis.

I'm usully very against vaccines... but it is so contagious that I don't like the idea of losing all my fertility to something that could have been stopped with $8... ya know?

I hope you don't have IB either... better safe then sorry, though. Good luck!

 

[macmama]

Quote:
One of my Buff Orps just laid one like that (and it was also significantly bigger than her normal size)-- and when I broke it open for breakfast it was double-yolked!

 

[CCCChickenman]

My best Buff ORP laid a HUGE egg on 4.1.10 that had the wrinkles around the top .
Only 2-eggs like that in 6 months but, both were unusually large, almost the size of a tennis ball!
I wasn't going to worry, but now I'll have to get more info.
Thanks.

 

[lori925]

One of our girls lays eggs with odd ridges. Today we got a ridged egg and another that felt kind of sand-papery. This is two out of 3 girls. This is the first time for the sand-paper texture. The ridged shell happens every so often. They act fine though. It's been a long cold winter and they have spent a lot of time closed up in the barn (they have it to their selves) but it can be quite dusty. other than the oddness of the egg shells, they seem to be fine. Should I worry? Thanks - Lori in Maine