Weird eggs

[alycat1990]

Hello everyone! I seem to come to this site a lot for information and I thought I may as well make an account. I have 3 RIR in a backyard coop. They will be 2 years old in the late spring 2017. I've been finding that they are laying very strange eggs lately. Especially my one hen, they seem to be very large and oblong in shape with little dips in the Shell. We have still been eating them. A few times I find super white eggs, and even some with a soft shell that I just feed back to them. I think it is the same hen laying these weird eggs, as I have been home when they are laying and I see her sithing on it. She is the top hen, so she eats first all the time for treats. I guess my main concern is if I am done something wrong with their nutrition? I feed them organic layer mash, I always put warm water out for them in the cold weather (it being January now) almost everyday I make them a treat of warm steel cut oats mixed with either hemp hearts or peanut butter and organic spy milk (I am a vegetarian so for their treats I try and give them plant/ grain based food) I also put ground up corn for them to forge on the ground and they always have a bowl of oyster shells in their coop. I also provide some heat in the coop (their first year they absolutely hated the cold) and a light bulb for 12-14 hours a day. I think I'm doing everything right but I just can't figure out why her eggs are so strange... here is a photo of it. Input is appreciated thanks!

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[azygous]

A lot can happen to an egg on its journey down the oviduct. Depending of the age of the layer, level of stress, climate, oddities occur. Most are merely curious and do not indicate anything serious while a few do raise red flags. In your case, I doubt there's cause for concern.

Chicken Chick has a great article on how these eggs come to be. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/01/how-hen-makes-egg-egg-oddities.html

I think you'll find it fascinating.

 

[alycat1990]

wow thanks for the link very good read

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Your girls don't need the heat of that light. And they could use a little time without it so they can molt and let their reproductive system rest and regenerate, IMO.

If your giving those treats to your girls every day, it would be good to know what your total protein content is... because layer is already only 16% and if you diminish it more than that can have all kinds of terrible side effects.

Your girls are pretty and your funky egg is kinda cool. @azygous already gave you great advice regarding it.

 

[alycat1990]

Hello, that is good to know... At first I was against heating/ putting light in the coop. The first year we had them they just seemed so miserable and were getting a lot of frostbite on their combs, we also had temperatures go down to -30C plus wind chill because I live near the Great Lakes, which is I think about -22 F. I tried really hard to do other alternatives like putting jelly on their combs and feet to help. The heater we have is on a timer and only turns on when it does get below freezing, it only keeps their coop slightly above freezing level. Unless its very cold they tend to perch in their run a lot, and even come outside unless its snowing (lol they hate the snow so much its funny)

They did molt in around October/November quite a bit.... lol there were feathers everywhere! I have noticed a decline in their egg production as well, I figured its because of their age and our weather, they didnt lay at all during their molt which I was okay with. Even now we go days without any eggs at all or someones one, which is okay.

 

[alycat1990]

http://www.tscstores.com/25KG-MASTERFEEDS-ORGANIC-LAYER-P29050.aspx#.WGvg7LYrI1g

Organic Layer Mash by Masterfeed is what I use 17% protein

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Frost bite is often caused by moisture in the air due to need for more ventilation.... There are some good articles on it here on BYC.

That sounds very cold! I have zero experience in those temps, but many who do stress ventilation at the top of the coop is key. Since I live at the coast though, I can say when it's humid it feels sooo much colder and at the opposite end when it's hot it feels worse. When I lived in the desert, the dry air really helped.

It's good that they molted at least before you got real cold. It would probably still benefit them to get rid of the light since you aren't aiming for max egg production anyways. They will likely start back up again before to long since the days are starting to increase naturally as well. Though I don't know for sure how the light decrease will exactly effect them. And if they aren't sleeping inside, is it even benefiting them as it is intended?

 

[alycat1990]

Thank you for your help! The heat/ light is only on the inside of the coop, during the day they are in the run. It's mainly at night where it gets super cold.( the heater stays on the light is off they are separate devices ) I think I may follow your advice about the light. I'm going to go some modifications to the coop this spring/summer and will look into more ventilation... I also think we are going to expand the flock... I worry if I change the light cycle now it might force another molt so maybe I should wait to change it

 

[aart]

-30C plus wind chill because I live near the Great Lakes, which is I think about -22 F.

-23C = -7.6F

I worry if I change the light cycle now it might force another molt so maybe I should wait to change it

Might not force another molt, but could stop them laying...I'd carry on with it for now.
How many hours a day are they getting light?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Forcing molt is an interesting question...

I agree it could stop them from laying. So maybe make your adjustment when the daylight lengthens and just don't add it for the next season.

I notice a ventilation link in @aart signature line.... probably a good one for your modification review.