Should I worry about membrane wrapped around fully formed egg?

[Britt007]

My two 5 year old hens are very healthy and lay lots of eggs but this morning, I got one with a creepy membrane OVER a fully formed, hard shelled egg. I was just wondering if it's indicative of anything.

Another question, they stay out in a tractor type pen during the day but one of them hate laying eggs outside, even with a nesting box- so she jumps up and down and I bring her back into the coop to lay the egg. If I'm not home, I guess she just waits. Is it harmful if a hen waits to lay? Thanks!

 

[BugStalker]

There is a problem where the egg goes backwards in the oviduct, but I don't know enough to say that is what happened here. @Wyorp Rock might know?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-inside-of-another-egg.1298369/#post-21136620

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well, it's not good for them to wait to lay eggs, that can cause some problems down the road. If this is a one time occurrence I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Britt007]

There is a problem where the egg goes backwards in the oviduct, but I don't know enough to say that is what happened here. @Wyorp Rock might know?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-inside-of-another-egg.1298369/#post-21136620

thanks, for all that info. I'll keep checking on them.

 

[Britt007]

Well, it's not good for them to wait to lay eggs, that can cause some problems down the road. If this is a one time occurrence I wouldn't worry too much.

Thanks. I wasn't sure. I was thinking- she's outside in a pen, if she really wants to lay an egg, she can do it- but she just keeps jumping up and down to go back into her usual nesting box. I'll try to watch her more often.

 

[aart]

but she just keeps jumping up and down to go back into her usual nesting box.

Does she have free access to the nests?
It called something like anti peristalsis...shelled egg back up in the system and gets more membrane added.

 

[Britt007]

Does she have free access to the nests?
It called something like anti peristalsis...shelled egg back up in the system and gets more membrane added.

thanks, Aart, well..she has a nesting box she CAN use but you know how hens are, she would prefer to go into the nighttime coop and use her favorite box. I guess I've got to figure something out cause I don't want her to have egg issues, she's a longtime pet.

 

[aart]

she would prefer to go into the nighttime coop and use her favorite box.

..and why can't she do that?

 

[BugStalker]

I have had to close the nighttime coop to keep birds out. I also use a half chicken tractor to replace their run when it gets muddy. I managed it by knowing the time between eggs for each bird, so I could be there (usually) to ferry them in and out, if necessary. It is not something I would want to do permanently. I also need a strong place to keep them safe from predators, so my chicken tractor will be heavy when done, but it will allow me to move them safely to better pasture. It is best to not move them between coops a lot, because they prefer their familiar nests and things. Can you attach the coop and pen with some kind of runway?

 

[Britt007]

..and why can't she do that?

At night, the hens go into a coop with a small run, which is completely covered with hardware cloth (even underneath the whole coop, under a foot of dirt). That is where her favorite nesting box is (it's actually built into the coop). In order to give them access to grass, during the day, I put them in a tractor type movable pen. One hen has no problem laying an egg in the grass or in the outdoor nesting box- but the aforementioned gal is very particular.