Topic of the Week - When eggs go wrong

[Sylvester017]

My nearly 7-yr-old Partridge Silkie (and my oldest pet hen) seems to be recovering from her bout w/dry pox thanks to my vet. Her eyes were shut from the crusty bumps and now both eyes are open and clear although the top of her beak needs to be the last to clear up. I don't get any more egg-laying from this old hen but she was my first backyard pet along with her bro (who we had to re-home because we're not zoned for roos).

Pics of my first two Partridge Silkies approx 5 to 6 mo's old.

My first backyard chicken is nearly 7 yrs old -- 18 chickens have come and gone in our backyard flock but she's still with us and definitely the hen-in-charge.

 

[aart]

I currently have 2 RIR and 3 Barred Rocks. Someone is laying eggs that have "invisible" speckles on them. The egg looks normal when I first take it out of the nest, but if I run water on it (to get poop or something off), bunches of darker speckles appear. And they will scrape off with a fingernail. Everyone seems healthy and thriving - about 4 or 5 days a week, I get eggs from all five chickens. I'm pretty new at this, and I have no idea what this could be, other than some abnormality in the shell. Any ideas? Thanks!

'Speckled' eggs can happen for several different reasons...very few of which are a 'problem'.
Can be caused by:
Excess or uneven pigment coating.
Excess or uneven cuticle(bloom).
Excess calcium deposits.
Porous eggs can appear speckled.
Some birds lay them consistently, some only once in awhile.
The pigment or bloom can change appearance when wet, then change back when dry again.


As long as bird is getting a good diet and is healthy in every other way, it is no cause for concern.

 

[mstailfeathers]

New layers give me the occasional rubber egg or soft shelled egg. Several nights ago, there was an intact egg yolk laying on the floor under the roost.

My most memorable goofy egg layer was a home bred BSL (RIR x PBR) She had a difficult time regulating her conveyor belt. Any readers remember the Lucille Ball show where Lucy and Ethel got hired to work in a chocolate factory, wrapping those little chocolates as they came down the conveyor belt? The belt kept speeding up until poor Lucy was stuffing them in her pockets, in her bra, then she started eating them.

Well, that was my little black hen, Hola! In one 24 hour period, I watched her lay 2 rubber eggs at 5 minute intervals, followed by a normal egg the following morning.

The most common nest box glitch I find is when a hen plops a big ol' turd in the nest box along with an egg. Or the inevitable skid marks that accompany sloppy muddy days.

After the pullets get up to full production, I average less than 2 eggs/week that do not make it into egg cartons. Any dirty eggs get set aside for my own use. Any soft shelled eggs go to my egg sucking, thieving dog. Egg shells get dried and go back to the flock.

Any time I ever notice a decline in egg shell quality, I give the birds some multi vitamins. That has an almost instant beneficial effect on the structural quality of the entire egg. IMO, calcium and protein are but a very small part of egg quality and bird health.

What kind of multi vitamin do you use? Do you crush it up in the food, or put it with the oyster shell?

 

[Sara H.]

Good morning, all! I finally got a picture of the kind of wonky eggs I've been getting from one of my girls. Sometimes they will look like this, with raised dark bumps on them (feels like sandpaper). Sometimes the bumps will be white and raised (usually there are fewer bumps if they are white). Sometimes there will be just a few small white indentations. The shells are not soft or thin at all - just these outer abnormalities. Any ideas? All of my hens have been laying for about a month or month and a half. Thanks!

 

[Sara H.]

'Speckled' eggs can happen for several different reasons...very few of which are a 'problem'.
Can be caused by:
Excess or uneven pigment coating.
Excess or uneven cuticle(bloom).
Excess calcium deposits.
Porous eggs can appear speckled.
Some birds lay them consistently, some only once in awhile.
The pigment or bloom can change appearance when wet, then change back when dry again.


As long as bird is getting a good diet and is healthy in every other way, it is no cause for concern.

Thank you! I've been wondering if it might be something to do with the pigment. These eggs are usually a bit lighter in color than the rest of the eggs. I feed my hens New Country Organic layer feed, so I'm comfortable that they are getting a good food. I also give them "treats" - various fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and mealworms.

 

[apryl29]

I currently have 2 RIR and 3 Barred Rocks. Someone is laying eggs that have "invisible" speckles on them. The egg looks normal when I first take it out of the nest, but if I run water on it (to get poop or something off), bunches of darker speckles appear. And they will scrape off with a fingernail. Everyone seems healthy and thriving - about 4 or 5 days a week, I get eggs from all five chickens. I'm pretty new at this, and I have no idea what this could be, other than some abnormality in the shell. Any ideas? Thanks!

I have the same thing happening from one of my girls too. Egg looks normal, then I wash it and the spots appear, then when it dries again they are almost invisible. I consistently have it one 1 egg. Not sure whose it is though. I figure it's just how she makes her eggs.

 

[rocky222]

Over ten years of plucking eggs out of nest boxes, I've been greeted with a wide range of surprises. Water balloon eggs (shelless), tiny one inch yolkless eggs, and all sorts of "designer" colors and patterns. But when I saw this egg, I didn't know what to think. It resembled a potato more than it did an egg.

The hen that laid it was a young Welsummer. It was also huge, over two inches in length.View attachment 1138223

I had one just like that, more potato looking than egg and massive. When I cracked it open though I got an even bigger surprise: As well as the usual egg innards, there was another perfectly egg shaped,slightly smaller than usual, egg - complete with shell.
Sadly, that was the last egg my little Mrs Overall laid for me. She is still going strong, but no eggs for six months now.

 

[Kk Augy]

I've got round eggs

 

[Sylvester017]

I've got round eggs

What breed layed your round egg? Was it a pullet or an older hen? I used to have a Cuckoo Marans that layed dark brown and sometimes speckled round eggs. A Marans owner told me it was not unusual for Marans to lay round eggs. It was sometimes hard to tell which end was which!

 

[Kk Augy]

What breed layed your round egg? Was it a pullet or an older hen? I used to have a Cuckoo Marans that layed dark brown and sometimes speckled round eggs. A Marans owner told me it was not unusual for Marans to lay round eggs. It was sometimes hard to tell which end was which!

You can find all information in one of my threads "round eggs"