speckled eggs (Australorps)- normal variance or indicator of something wrong?

[AKnewbie]

I got a speckled egg today.
It's still brown but it had small white spots in it. It wasn't something that I could wipe off.
It was just the shell coloration.

Is this an indicator that something is wrong or does this still fall within normal limits?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

That sounds like calcium deposits on the egg. It happens sometimes. I would only worry if the whole flock constantly had them- that they were eating too much calcium.

I have always had that happen occasionally since having chickens. Nothing to worry about as far as I know.

Oh- I just thought to add, I was assuming it had texture to it??

If no texture then yes it is just normal speckling as part of the bloom - the painting of the egg. It happens sometimes.

 

[AKnewbie]

Thank you.
It didnt feel rough at all. It felt just like the other non-speckled eggs.
They also have oyster shells in a separate bowl apart from the layer feed that they are getting.
Am I correct to assume that they will regulate their oyster shell intake?

 

[Joe Jordan]

Is it "speckles" like just speckled color differences? One of my girls is laying an egg like this but I don't know which one it is because the goofy things all want to lay in the same box. Well, except for the Ameracana. She lays on the other end of the coop in her own box. Anyway, the speckled egg is pretty consistent, only occasionally varying in the amount and darkness of the speckles. I'm not real concerned about it because all the girls look and act very healthy. Hope yours are too! Cheers!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you. It didnt feel rough at all. It felt just like the other non-speckled eggs. They also have oyster shells in a separate bowl apart from the layer feed that they are getting. Am I correct to assume that they will regulate their oyster shell intake?

Yes they eat more calcium as needed. They love to eat woodstove ashes too, and they are high in calcium. But I always make sure they have oyster shells.