See this weird egg I found today

[Nic&Chickies]

(...well, yesterday now)
It was not in the nestbox in the coop, but outside in a little nest-like hole in the dirt of the run, as if she couldn't wait to go up the ramp to lay.
This is one picture, after I wiped some dirt off with a napkin:


And another (I grabbed the quarter for size, which was pretty normal.) In both of these, you can make out the white coating, flaking off. Anyone know what that could be? Or why it looks like it has scratches all over the surface?


These last two were taken later, after I brought it in and actually washed it (which I don't usually do until I'm about to cook 'em). I can see spots on it, which suggests my Easter Egger laid it.


I wonder about how eggs are actually produced, as they come out of the hen. Some time back, I read about it somewhere (here on BYC, maybe), and I think I remember something about how all eggs start white, that the brown is layered over, kind of like how people dye easter eggs. I really thought about that as I was rubbing off some dirt, and ended up rubbing the brown right off of the brown egg.

If anyone can tell me what's going on (went on) with this egg, I'd appreciate the info.

 

[HIS Paintbrush]

Just looks like the egg is normal, just been exposed to rougher conditions. been scratched and rolled around.

 

[AngelaB]

I agree

 

[BlazeJester]

Looks normal if a little beat up.

Not ALL eggs start white - some start blue, which you can see if you look from the inside of a green EE's egg - but you are right that the brown is "painted" overtop the eggshell. There are two egg genes, one for blue/not blue and one for brown/not brown, so you get:

Blue + not brown = blue
Not blue + not brown = white
Not blue + brown = brown
Blue + brown = green

 

[HIS Paintbrush]

I'd crack it in the pan and serve it with some bacon

 

[Kittyf]

I'd crack it in the pan and serve it with some bacon

Me too!

I have had similar eggs when one of the girls lays in the dirt and the egg surface gets a bit scratched and dirty. The eggs were great on the inside! And I think it's kinda pretty, too.

 

[ChicKat]

I agree that the scratches are probably just marks where the 'bloom' and/or brown coloring got rubbed off, probably just after the egg was laid and was still a little damp. Scratches either from ckicken claws or something rough like hard straw or pebbles where she laid the egg.

 

[adgcountrygirl]

Some of my eggs, get marked like that. Sometimes another hen will scratch around before she lays her egg in the nest or she tries to move the others over to suit the placement of her egg.