Sticky bloom... any thoughts?

[mvdct]

Hi all,

Quick question.

Attached are two photos of an egg from one of our chickens (a Rhode Island Red) in the nest box.

First shot - top of egg. Second shot - egg rotated to reveal the bottom. Notice the chippings of hemp stuck to it. (we use Aubiose Hemp Bedding in the boxes).

We have 3 hens. Only this hen seems to lay eggs "sticky" enough to have the chippings stick to it. They easily rub off when the egg is handled.

I'm guessing the hen just has a heavier than normal bloom... just wondered if anyone had any other thoughts about what is going on?

Thanks in advance.

 

[azygous]

Yes, your conclusion is compatible with what I've experienced. Some hens just have a thicker fluid in their egg chute and the nesting material will stick to it. If it doesn't flick off with a finger nail, a few seconds under water will loosen it. I've never really given it any thought until you brought it up.

 

[rosemarythyme]

One of my hens definitely has stickier, slower to dry bloom than the others, and I think for a while that was causing her to "lay" in the run, as the egg would stick to her bottom while she was in the nest box and then drop off later on.

She's finally mostly staying in the nest box long enough for the egg to drop off there but there's always a few extra bedding bits stuck to her eggs.

 

[azygous]

My Black Cochin hen Morgan would have her egg glued to her fine butt feathers below her vent, and she would wear the egg out of the coop, bobbing in rhythm with her walk.

I brought her indoors to try to figure out what I could coat her feathers with so the egg wouldn't stick, but never did find anything that worked.

She is retired now, and lies about like a big discarded beach ball.

 

[aart]

Yep, same here...couple of my girls have bloom that takes forever to dry,
sometimes there's a big drop clinging to the egg. I use flakes of straw for nest bedding so not much sticks to the egg, but if it does it usually just flicks off(some easier than others). Used to have fluffy butters that the egg sticks to the feathers, not anymore tho.

She is retired now, and lies about like a big discarded beach ball.

 

[jlwquilter]

My Marti this morning:

She’s apparently the source of the eggs I’ve been finding in random weird locations for several weeks. She never goes into the nest boxes (I had to close off the one she liked for a sick hen and she’s not gotten over that). I thought she had simply stopped laying even though she was acting fine. Now I know what was happening!

Now I have to try to figure out how to get her to use a nest box.

 

[mvdct]

Thanks all.
As ever really useful comments.
Its seems some hens just have stickier, thicker bloom.

 

[GC-Raptor]

One of my pullets, (will be a hen tomorrow) have always laid the darkest sticky eggs of 6 Barred Rocks.
I wash my eggs with a brush and if I scrub to hard, the color comes off and it'll look like the others. . GC