"Scratched" Egg

[jennyf]

Anyone know what's going on here? The coating on the eggs laid by this particular hen (Production Red) always end up scratched. I'm thinking it likely is her feet, but does the bloom scratch off like this? Seems like the bloom on my other chickens eggs is colorless. Just curious!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Anyone know what's going on here? The coating on the eggs laid by this particular hen (Production Red) always end up scratched. I'm thinking it likely is her feet, but does the bloom scratch off like this? Seems like the bloom on my other chickens eggs is colorless. Just curious!

I get eggs like that from time to time - it's the pigment that's being scratched (the bloom is colorless, but it's difficult to tell on light-colored eggs). Is she the only one that lays in that nest box? If not, it could be other hens scratching the egg when they move it around, too.

 

[aart]

That does indeed looked like excessive bloom scratched off by a toenail.
Have had a few like that and also the some with coating scratched off in the same way.
Some birds consistently apply excessive and/or a more 'colored' bloom.
Some darker layers often have easily scratched coatings.
None of it is anything to worry about, tho it sure can be annoying.

 

[jennyf]

Thanks for the replies! I think this is from a pretty new layer (last couple of weeks) so perhaps things will even out. Or she'll stop stomping around in there after the novelty has worn off

 

[aart]

Another thing I thought of.
Some birds bloom takes a long time to dry, (they come out wet, did you know?) and are easily scratched if trod upon while still wet.