slimy,wet eggs

[allens]

A couple of my hens, not sure which ones yet have been playing eggs that are slimy or wet on the shell every day for about a week now. Is this bad to eat? Anyone know what this is or why they're laying eggs like this?

 

[goldfishes]

It could be the bloom (or cuticle) you are seeing on the egg. If so, this is completely normal. It is a protective coating the chicken naturally produces on the egg to protect it from bacteria. It quickly dries, but if you see them right after laying, you'll see it is definitely wet. Freaked me out the first time I saw it. Here is a small description on it: http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/eggcyclopedia/b/bloom

 

[allens]

So there's nothing else it could be? It dries sticky and eventually looks like a clear coat. Its so wet that it hits the bottom of the nesting box. Trying to be self sufficient. A lot to learn yet. Lol

 

[goldfishes]

If they are newer to laying, they could be ironing out the works so to speak. I had girls that laid rubber eggs, misshapen eggs and some blooms were thicker than others. Everything worked its way out after about 4 1/2 months of laying. What are you using in the nesting box? I found that if you don't have a really thick layer of material, eggs will hit the bottom. I use either pine shavings or straw at least a 2" depth.

I really haven't read anything on here, in books or elsewhere online about anything else it could be that is dangerous. I did a lot of research on a similar topic when I first got started. Just to be safe, you could look at their bums around the vent and make sure you don't see any critters crawling around or diarrhea (a little poo is okay as that is normal with the cecal poo and they'll clean that off. You'll see a LOT if it's something to worry about.) If you don't see anything, I'd say you just have some chickens that are working out the mechanics. Some blooms are thicker than others. If you are collecting right after they lay, you could try leaving them 10 or so minutes longer to see if that helps dry out the bloom more.

They are edible, but if it bothers you, you can always rinse it off with a wet paper towel or run the egg under luke warm water. Mind you, I'd wait until you were closer to eating them as you are removing the protective barrier. Also, if you wash off the bloom, you'll need to refrigerate them. Also, I've found they tend to absorb the odors in the fridge more readily if you wash them so keep that in mind if you have pungent foods like onions in there. The eggs we buy in the store are usually coated with an oil after they wash them to make them shiny, help them stay fresh longer and to protect them from odors.