Tiny Egg

[303hunter]

I have a flock of 6 red sex links, and one black bantam hen. Today I found an egg 1/2 the size of a bantam egg, but dark brown like the sex links. My bantam lays every day, and her eggs are white, so I know it's not one of hers. Has anyone ever seen a tiny brown egg from a big chicken?

 

[BonRae67]

Every once and a while I get a much smaller egg out of one, don't know which one, of the red sexlinks. Don't know why it happens. I think they are kinda cute. I have cracked them and found that 99% of them don't have yolks.

 

[WalnutHill]

They are jokingly referred to as "fart eggs" and are the chicken equivalent of a pearl.

The oviduct often sheds bits of material, often found in eggs as "meat spots". If a hen sheds one of these while an egg is not passing, this bit of material can be encapsulated just like a yolk would be. The shell is often very thick and dark, and if there is any yolk it's often a dot, the rest is albumen.

They are a novelty if you like crafting, otherwise they aren't good for much.

 

[Watermelon123]

It could be a fart egg (also called fairy egg, witch egg, or oops egg)
They often are much darker than normal because they spend more time in the shell gland and gets an extra layer or two of color. They also don't often have any yolk.

These can be caused when the hen's overduct releases some tissue. That triggers the formation of a egg. The egg then is smaller and has no yolk.

Sometimes, young pullets just lay a fart egg here and there till they get their reproductive systems into gear.

To be sure, I say crack it open and see whats inside!

 

[303hunter]

You all were right, no yolk in the small egg.