Weird Yolk.... Any opinions?

[SD Bird Lady]

I found this egg while cooking this morning.

I collect eggs dail,y sometimes twice. This egg is laid by a 3 year old Austrawhite hen. I don't wash my eggs, unless very soiled, but this egg was not washed. It was laid on 3/29/15 and used (cracked, not eaten) 4/15/15 .....

Has anyone ever seen anything like this? The white looked completely normal.

 

[sumi]

That is a mottled yolk. Possible causes are:

- Worming drugs and compounds piperazine, dibutyltin dilaurate and citrate;

- The anticoccidial drug Nicarbazin;

- Certain antioxidants such as gallic acid and tannic acid;

- Feeding hens raw soybean meal;

- Calcium deficiency in the hens' diet;

- Thin egg shells;

- Can be hereditary.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Thank you sumi. Of those possibilities, the only one that seems plausible for this bird is the antioxidants. Are those high in certain feed stuffs....they have been eating alfalfa but other than that I haven't changed anything with their diet and have never wormed or medicated these birds.