Colesrogers

In the Brooder
Nov 17, 2020
19
22
34
One of our hens was sick and didn’t lay for about a week. This egg was in the nesting box (our eggs are fertilized). The shell was very thin and broken and this was inside. I don’t know if it was from the sick hen or a new layer that shares the same coop because it was so small and a lighter shade than her usual eggs. (Comparison photo below) Is it a chicken beginning to grow or something else?

Just looking for some insight and education!
 

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Is it a chicken beginning to grow or something else?
Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC! :frow

Having hatched hundreds of chicks.. I'm gonna gave to go with something else.. that does NOT look like a chick embryo.. and ask more questions.

How old is the hen that was unwell and what breed? Did you ever determine the cause of her condition or what were the symptoms, please? What is fed on a regular basis including treats and supplements? How are the weather conditions, how many birds in how much space, any recent changes or additions, anything notable? Are your fertile eggs collected daily, usually? Did you check the hens abdomen for swelling, is she molting with pin feathers or anything like that?

Thin shell.. could be a hiccup of the shell gland from the reproductive system coming or going offline like for molt... in this instance, maybe whatever was dragging her down.

Are you willing to cut into that blob and see if it looks like cooked egg on the inside? If so.. then salpingitis would be suspect.. sometimes called lash egg..
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

Another resource for egg quality concerns and POSSIBLE causes..
Common egg quality problems BYC

Hope you get some answers and your gal thrives! :fl
 
Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC! :frow

Having hatched hundreds of chicks.. I'm gonna gave to go with something else.. that does NOT look like a chick embryo.. and ask more questions.

How old is the hen that was unwell and what breed? Did you ever determine the cause of her condition or what were the symptoms, please? What is fed on a regular basis including treats and supplements? How are the weather conditions, how many birds in how much space, any recent changes or additions, anything notable? Are your fertile eggs collected daily, usually? Did you check the hens abdomen for swelling, is she molting with pin feathers or anything like that?

Thin shell.. could be a hiccup of the shell gland from the reproductive system coming or going offline like for molt... in this instance, maybe whatever was dragging her down.

Are you willing to cut into that blob and see if it looks like cooked egg on the inside? If so.. then salpingitis would be suspect.. sometimes called lash egg..
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

Another resource for egg quality concerns and POSSIBLE causes..
Common egg quality problems BYC

Hope you get some answers and your gal thrives! :fl

Thank you SO much for all of this info! That’s why I love BYC. I know I can come here for some serious education!
I agree, doing some more research this morning it definitely is not a developing embryo. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Not even close! Lol

I cut the white open and it does NOT contain pus like the latch egg but instead a tiny yolk and a spot of blood. The rest was all egg white. It almost looks as if the membrane didn’t stick to the shell and encapsulated?

The egg is from my 7 month old Rhode Island Red. She had a cut right next to her wing that I didn’t notice until she started limping. No bumble foot- I began spraying the cut with vetericyn and kept her separate for about a week. She had stopped eating but after a day or two of treatment she perked right up. Since, she has been eating and drinking normally. Treats and food. Plenty of water. So maybe she is still healing up and her body regulating?

Theres a chance the egg is from a new layer, too. As this egg was much smaller and lighter than the usual eggs laid by theRIR.
 

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So maybe she is still healing up and her body regulating?

Theres a chance the egg is from a new layer, too. As this egg was much smaller and lighter than the usual eggs laid by theRIR.
Well, whether it came from a brand new layer or the 7 month old red.. it definitely looks like a funky but possibly standard new layer hiccup. So that's great news! :yesss:

kept her separate for about a week.
Lighting hours effect laying hormone. It was probably your other new layer.. but with these type of changes Red's system could be confused. It should work out before too long! :)
 

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