The Mysterious Case of the Egg Yolk Stains

[Willow2253]

Feeding my girl a little extra shell seems to be working. No puddles in a few days, and she laid a solid one today! The texture of the shell is weird and kind of grainy, and it’s huge, but hopefully that will correct itself over time. Here it is compared to a store bought egg.

 

[aart]

and it’s huge

Double Yolker?

 

[Willow2253]

Double Yolker?

I don’t think so, though I did get a double yolker from a pullet today and they’re about the same size. The few solid eggs that she’s had lately have just been really big.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I don’t think so, though I did get a double yolker from a pullet today and they’re about the same size. The few solid eggs that she’s had lately have just been really big.

Wow! Beautiful egg. Glad it's working out for you!

I'm still getting nothing. No yolk spots nor eggs at all from the two culprits. I can't tell whether their done molting or yet. But... my BO's couple mid-molt eggs were giant, too!!

Also, random question to you and @aart. Do molts happen in a series of phases? For example, my EE lost a ton around her neck and they grew in--thought she was done (no feather loss for days). Then as of yesterday she's shedding feathers from under her wings like crazy. All in all this is going on two months now.... My BO and GLW seem near done, but I'm not sure they lost all feathers from all parts, seemed sporadic (like just a few patches here and there).

 

[aart]

Also, random question to you and @aart. Do molts happen in a series of phases? For example, my EE lost a ton around her neck and they grew in--thought she was done (no feather loss for days). Then as of yesterday she's shedding feathers from under her wings like crazy. All in all this is going on two months now.... My BO and GLW seem near done, but I'm not sure they lost all feathers from all parts, seemed sporadic (like just a few patches here and there).

It can vary. Some lose them all at once, some go more slowly.
I have one that's had bare patches from treading, those spots are full of pins and she's also losing other feathers. I guess we assume they replace all the feathers over weeks or months, but it would be hard to know for sure

 

[Willow2253]

I’ve noticed some do it like that. One I have in molt, she started on her chest, then around her neck, and I thought she was done because I hadn’t seen anything for over a week, but now she’s got pin feathers showing up on her shoulder. She’s been going for like a month or so now. I also have a couple that I’ve never seen go though a full molt at once, they’ll just lose sections throughout the year.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Hi folks,

HISTORY: I'm hoping someone can help me deduce what's going on over here. Two of my 19 month old hens--a GLW and BO--had been going through a pretty hardcore molt since a couple weeks ago. They'd been separated into their own pen, to help keep them from the drama of the rest of the flock, and because they are also best buds. I also noticed they were looking droopy and eating less, so I wanted to keep a closer eye on them and give them support as needed. Neither had been laying for weeks, however the BO recently started laying again and perking up. The GLW is still seeming a bit off and definitely not into normal feed, though she'll eat mashes with greek yogurt or a bit of tuna mixed in. She also forages well while free ranging. Both have no history of egg laying issues, though neither have ever been my most productive hens.

MYSTERY: Yesterday I noticed egg yolk-stained shavings in their coop with no egg. My BO had an egg yolk stained beak and feet, so I assumed it was hers. However, her vent and surrounding feathers looked completely clean and she was pooping normal poops. So, I honed in on my GLD, who seemed to have been the droopier of the two and had yet to perk up/start laying. Upon inspection, she also had a very clean vent with no evidence of egg material in the surrounding area. She pooped normal albeit small poops (because she's still eating less). A few hours later my BO laid a large, strong-shelled egg, so I figured it must definitely have been the GLW.

Today neither laid nor were they hanging in the nesting box. I then went out for about two hours, and upon returning, found another pool of egg yolk material in the nesting box (of course they wait till their helicopter mom is gone!). This time neither had evidence of yolk on them--not their feet, beaks, or vents. My GLD had been looking droopy/sleepy all day and I did noticed she was very perked up this evening: bright red and a decently full crop, running around free ranging. Not sure if that means she relieved herself of an egg.

CURRENT DEDUCTIONS: My biggest fear is an egg breaking inside one of my hens, likely the GLW, but the lack of egg material in the vent area makes that (I hope) unlikely. I worry about EYP, which I've dealt with before, but again no abnormalities around the vent or regarding poop color. I'm thinking that my GLW is perhaps laying soft shelled or shell-less eggs--probably because she hasn't been eating enough feed to sustain normal egg laying. My BO then likely gobbles them up, because she's done that before when accidentally breaking one.

IN CONCLUSION: This mystery is driving my anxiety through the roof. I just got one of my hens through a long battle with EYP and she was finally doing better. I'm hoping that there's not a new issue brewing but that seems to be the way this last year has gone (one thing after another). I will say that both my girls, the GLW in particular, have had a pretty rough time with their molts. I'm glad to see my BO is at least making a come back.

Please let me know what your thoughts might be, and/or if you have suggestions going forward. I'm thinking about providing my GLW with a calcium supplement, but not sure if that's good to do during a molt, or if I could discourage any egg laying. Also: the hens were switch to purina flock raiser feed last week, supplemented by free choice oyster shell. Thank you!!

My hen who recently laid a soft shelled egg, had egg shells hanging from her vent, egg yolk all over her feathers and vent area plus a droopy tail and was really lethargic. The lack of these symptoms had made me doubt a soft shelled egg- just an egg that’s they broke and happend to eat only the shell from but seeing as you switched their feed, I assume it WAS a soft shelled egg but only caused by lack of calcium nothing farther into health issues. Just offer oyster shells and some extra calcium treats from the kitchen

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

My hen who recently laid a soft shelled egg, had egg shells hanging from her vent, egg yolk all over her feathers and vent area plus a droopy tail and was really lethargic. The lack of these symptoms had made me doubt a soft shelled egg- just an egg that’s they broke and happend to eat only the shell from but seeing as you switched their feed, I assume it WAS a soft shelled egg but only caused by lack of calcium nothing farther into health issues. Just offer oyster shells and some extra calcium treats from the kitchen

That's what I'm thinking. I mean she was in a deep molt and not laying (nor eating much) when I switched feed, so I was surprised she then started trying. But she's stopped again. Seems healthy/active though. So I assume she's taking another break.

The eggs referenced in my post seem to have been almost entirely eaten--only evidence being yolk stains). Typically if a hard shell accidentally breaks and is eaten there are some remnants of shell. But, my BO, who is roomies with the hen in question, does have a history of being clumsy/breaking eggs and then eating them (I've just always caught her and stopped it).

I had a hen whose softshell broke in her a couple months ago . Similar to yours, she was dripping egg material from vent, very lethargic/clearly straining to expel content, and I saw the remnant of a soft shell as evidence. Got her to pass the rest through epsom soaks and then had her treated for EYP. So that experience had me on high alert--the yolk stains made my heart drop! How is your hen? Did she recover?

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I’ve noticed some do it like that. One I have in molt, she started on her chest, then around her neck, and I thought she was done because I hadn’t seen anything for over a week, but now she’s got pin feathers showing up on her shoulder. She’s been going for like a month or so now. I also have a couple that I’ve never seen go though a full molt at once, they’ll just lose sections throughout the year.

Good to know. I'm having trouble getting a handle on where in the my process they are--each one is so different from the next and they seem to stop and start.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I guess I won't ever know! But it's heartening to hear it can be months because I feel like some of mine are in a drawn out process with no end in sight.

It can vary. Some lose them all at once, some go more slowly.
I have one that's had bare patches from treading, those spots are full of pins and she's also losing other feathers. I guess we assume they replace all the feathers over weeks or months, but it would be hard to know for sure