The Egg Anomalies Thread

[kattabelly]

Someone had an inkjet malfunction

 

[FurryHerbalist]

Here’s a question on egg anomalies. My Cream Legbar was laying a full size egg and then immediately a quail sized egg with no yolk. The two eggs would consistently be in the nest touching, apparently laid within minutes of each other. She is now laying only the small eggs with no yolk. The eggs are slightly darker blue/green than the photo shows.

The girls all came from SandHill Preservation in Iowa June 24th and July 8th 2025. I’m used to first eggs being small but that always has progressed to full size within in a month or so.

Any ideas if this is a permanent genetic issue? She is fully feathered, active and happy as are all the other hens who are laying full sized eggs.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[FunClucks]

Here’s a question on egg anomalies. My Cream Legbar was laying a full size egg and then immediately a quail sized egg with no yolk. The two eggs would consistently be in the nest touching, apparently laid within minutes of each other. She is now laying only the small eggs with no yolk. The eggs are slightly darker blue/green than the photo shows.

The girls all came from SandHill Preservation in Iowa June 24th and July 8th 2025. I’m used to first eggs being small but that always has progressed to full size within in a month or so.

Any ideas if this is a permanent genetic issue? She is fully feathered, active and happy as are all the other hens who are laying full sized eggs.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
View attachment 4293834

How long has this been going on? Has she recently molted, and then this started? Have you tried feeding her human Calcium citrate with vitamin D (~600 mg) 1x day for a few weeks up to a month? You can pop one pill, or half a pill at a time in their beaks, and they will swallow it. The calcium citrate can help regulate their laying cycles. Don't know if that's directly applicable here, but I don't think trying it could hurt.

 

[lillykew]

Hello all! Just got a strange egg this evening. Normally I get brown eggs from my MM Marans, but today I got one that seems to be brown but with a white bloom. You can see the scratches in the bloom a little bit. I'm used to some variation but this was new.

Should I be concerned? The chickens are all about 8 months old, and are pretty regular layers. The only change has been that I've been able to let them range in my back yard a bit the last couple weeks.

Thanks in advance

 

[FunClucks]

Hello all! Just got a strange egg this evening. Normally I get brown eggs from my MM Marans, but today I got one that seems to be brown but with a white bloom. You can see the scratches in the bloom a little bit. I'm used to some variation but this was new.

Should I be concerned? The chickens are all about 8 months old, and are pretty regular layers. The only change has been that I've been able to let them range in my back yard a bit the last couple weeks.

Thanks in advanceView attachment 4293978View attachment 4293979

Looks like normal variation to me. She'll probably lay a normal egg next time.

 

[FurryHerbalist]

How long has this been going on? Has she recently molted, and then this started? Have you tried feeding her human Calcium citrate with vitamin D (~600 mg) 1x day for a few weeks up to a month? You can pop one pill, or half a pill at a time in their beaks, and they will swallow it. The calcium citrate can help regulate their laying cycles. Don't know if that's directly applicable here, but I don't think trying it could hurt.

Thanks for the reply.

The hen is 7-8 months old, not sure because the day olds came in two shipments. Too young for first molt yet. The girls started laying eggs in late November/early December.

She gets all the same organic food as the other 15 hens and Rooster Booster vitamin powder is added to their drinking water daily. The Rooster Booster has Vit D-3, A, E and B-1/2/5/6 & 9, electrolytes and probiotics. The girls have a very large fenced outdoor yard with forage, bugs and dirt. Her shells are quite strong, not thin or weak at all which would seem to indicate no problem with Ca+ or Vit. D.

As I said, I’ve had small first eggs but they always had a yolk. No yolk in these tiny eggs and I’ve never had a hen lay both a normal size egg AND a tiny egg the same day. I know this for certain because she gets over the 7 foot coop wall into the coop vestibule occasionally and nests in the extra straw bale stored there. I find her out there and with two eggs in the morning.

 

[FunClucks]

Thanks for the reply.

The hen is 7-8 months old, not sure because the day olds came in two shipments. Too young for first molt yet. The girls started laying eggs in late November/early December.

She gets all the same organic food as the other 15 hens and Rooster Booster vitamin powder is added to their drinking water daily. The Rooster Booster has Vit D-3, A, E and B-1/2/5/6 & 9, electrolytes and probiotics. The girls have a very large fenced outdoor yard with forage, bugs and dirt. Her shells are quite strong, not thin or weak at all which would seem to indicate no problem with Ca+ or Vit. D.

As I said, I’ve had small first eggs but they always had a yolk. No yolk in these tiny eggs and I’ve never had a hen lay both a normal size egg AND a tiny egg the same day. I know this for certain because she gets over the 7 foot coop wall into the coop vestibule occasionally and nests in the extra straw bale stored there. I find her out there and with two eggs in the morning.

Hmmm. Sounds like this hen has a habit of laying like this. She's only been laying for 3-4 months. I'd give her another few months, and if she keeps this up, consider the issue genetic. Others may have better advice, but other than trying the calcium citrate, I don't know what to tell you. As long as she keeps her calcium intake up, she should be all right? The hard shells are a good sign. If you want, you can feed the fairy eggs (small eggs with no yolk) back to the flock as soon as they are laid.