unusually pale egg after seeming sick

[Krugerrand]

I have three hens. On Friday evening, two of them were acting strange - not interested in food, just standing around. When i checked on them in the late evening, they had stayed in the (secured run) and did not roost in the coop. I saw one eating the remnants of an egg that had to have been a second for the day and it looked like it may have lacked a properly formed shell. I added a bowl of Hydro Hen water to their run. I also pulled some anti-oxidant rich aronia berries from the freezer for them - which only the well seeming hen ate.

Of course, I barely slept Friday worried that they had bird flu and that I'd find two of them dead Saturday morning. Fortunately, Saturday morning and ever since, all the girls have seemed fine and were back to normal. My two that had been acting strange on Friday evening did not lay eggs on Saturday. I kept some Hydro Hen water in the run and everybody enjoyed some aronia.

(I'm guessing they ate a bug or plant they should not have.)

Sunday morning and today, everyone was back to laying eggs. But on Sunday one egg was unusually pale.

Would that pale egg still be safe to eat? Or, in an abundance of caution, should I ditch the eggs from Sunday?

Thank you.

 

[Krugerrand]

Here is the pale egg beside her typical egg .

 

[Kiki]

Here is the pale egg beside her typical egg .
View attachment 3088902

Are you under the impression that the same bird laid these two very different eggs?

 

[Krugerrand]

Are you under the impression that the same bird laid these two very different eggs?

I'm certain of it. I only have 3 hens and they each lay distinctive eggs.

 

[Krugerrand]

Another angle

 

[Krugerrand]

Dr. Google hasn't been much help. I got this:
https://cluckin.net/abnormal-chicken-eggs-35-egg-problems-explained.html#mcetoc_1ec2m0rqnb

Sudden changes in the shell colour can indicate problems. The colour of the shells fade over time.

Suddenly pale egg shells may be caused by:

The age of the chicken.
The stress in the flock.
The length of time the bird has been in lay.
Exposure to some chemicals and drugs.
Egg drop syndrome - EDS 76.
Infectious Bronchitis (IB).

None of these seem to be applicable.

 

[ManueB]

Having a very light colored egg just once, has happened to three different birds in my flock. Once it was clearly related to stress (the hen had taken a beating from the rooster) and the two other times it happened to hens that seemed to be unwell for 48 hours and then got back to their normal self. I supposed they were not able to normally pigment the shell. If I remember right I ate them. (I eat most strange looking eggs, I just refrigerate them which I don't normally do.)

I hope it's nothing more serious for your hens. Are you certain there wasn't something that caused a stress like a predator coming near them?

 

[Krugerrand]

Having a very light colored egg just once, has happened to three different birds in my flock. Once it was clearly related to stress (the hen had taken a beating from the rooster) and the two other times it happened to hens that seemed to be unwell for 48 hours and then got back to their normal self. I supposed they were not able to normally pigment the shell. If I remember right I ate them. (I eat most strange looking eggs, I just refrigerate them which I don't normally do.)

I hope it's nothing more serious for your hens. Are you certain there wasn't something that caused a stress like a predator coming near them?

Well, that's pretty reassuring.

They very well could have had a predator issue. It also could have been my fault, as I think back. I dumped some grass clippings in their run that evening, and they were pretty terrified of the scary lawn mower bag.

My daughter is pretty certain that they were acting strange before I dumped the clippings. I really don't recall one way or the other. So, it could have been a combination of not feeling well and encountering the scary lawn bag.

It's also entirely possible that a predator stopped by in the afternoon. We have hawks, raccoons, plus neighbor cats and dogs. None of those could ever get into the coop, but I would think if something stopped by to say hello, they would not like that.

I may never know ... but it's nice to know that with them bouncing back to normal, all should be okay.

 

[ManueB]

I hope so. Check if they are acting normal and let us know in a few days how they are doing!

 

[ManueB]

@Krugerrand how are your hens and especially the one that laid that pale egg?