RIR - bizarre egg

[mlanyi4]

Hey!
My RIR has been laying this slightly deformed type of egg for about a week. The shell has an opening, but the contents of the egg remain intact. She’s not pecking at it. Any idea of what could be causing this?
Thanks!

 

[Sally PB]

I get that on occasion too. I have seen the hens push the fake eggs around under them, using their beaks. I think the same happens with the real eggs from time to time, and they poke a hole in the shell, but not the membrane, so the egg contents don't leak out.

If they do break the membrane, then they will eat the egg. So far they haven't connected the dots and started breaking the eggs open to eat them!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any idea of what could be causing this?

It's a toenail hole. (according to my experience)

Is she a new layer? I see excess calcium bumbs, so calcium deficiency doesn't seem *too* likely. But new layer hiccups can produce some anomalies, including uneven distribution in the shell gland.

See the following link for lots of good information..

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

 

[coach723]

I also get calcium bumps on occasion, and sometimes those spots are weaker and can break easily, even from being in contact with another egg in the nest box. If the membrane is intact I still use them within a day, never had a problem. If the membrane is broken then I toss them. Sometimes I find that ants have found them, so those get tossed as well. It can happen with birds going into or out of molt, new layers, calcium being off, I've had birds that just do it on occasion for no identifiable reason.

 

[aart]

My RIR has been laying this slightly deformed type of egg for about a week.

How old is she, in weeks or months?
How long has she been laying?

 

[mlanyi4]

How old is she, in weeks or months?
How long has she been laying?

She’s about 6mon old and has been laying since 22wks