What’s up with this egg?

[GApeachmama]

I think it’s from a new layer. Its shell is powdery. That’s really throwing me off. It looks almost white but I only have brown egg layers and EEs. It’s huge. I put 2 grocery store eggs and one from another one of our ladies. Any ideas?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I think it’s from a new layer. Its shell is powdery. That’s really throwing me off. It looks almost white but I only have brown egg layers and EEs. It’s huge. I put 2 grocery store eggs and one from another one of our ladies. Any ideas?

View attachment 4240490View attachment 4240491

A couple of SWAGs (Scientific Wild-A** Guesses):

1) size: it's a double-yolker, which is very common with new layers

2) powdery texture: lots of tiny calcium deposits on it, which is also very common with new layers, as their system is still getting the kinks out of the shell-deposit process

And I guess? it's possible that the calcium deposits are covering whatever color the shell really is, making it seem a lot paler. Once you crack it, check out the color of the inside of the egg shell. If it's a pale blue, it's most likely from your EE. The outside of the eggs can be a different color, including green or pink, if any brown pigment is deposited at the end of the egg-laying pipeline. (This is often jokingly referred to as the "paint booth" around here, because unlike the blue which is present at the beginning, the brown gets "sprayed" on right before the egg is laid.)

My Buff Orpington started with lots of calcium deposits, too, which have pretty much calmed down now. But her eggs are never smooth, which gives them sort of a matte texture. It's a handy way of distinguishing her brown eggs from the Barred Rock's brown eggs.

 

[GApeachmama]

A couple of SWAGs (Scientific Wild-A** Guesses):

1) size: it's a double-yolker, which is very common with new layers

2) powdery texture: lots of tiny calcium deposits on it, which is also very common with new layers, as their system is still getting the kinks out of the shell-deposit process

And I guess? it's possible that the calcium deposits are covering whatever color the shell really is, making it seem a lot paler. Once you crack it, check out the color of the inside of the egg shell. If it's a pale blue, it's most likely from your EE. The outside of the eggs can be a different color, including green or pink, if any brown pigment is deposited at the end of the egg-laying pipeline. (This is often jokingly referred to as the "paint booth" around here, because unlike the blue which is present at the beginning, the brown gets "sprayed" on right before the egg is laid.)

My Buff Orpington started with lots of calcium deposits, too, which have pretty much calmed down now. But her eggs are never smooth, which gives them sort of a matte texture. It's a handy way of distinguishing her brown eggs from the Barred Rock's brown eggs.

Wow. Thank you.

 

[GApeachmama]

A couple of SWAGs (Scientific Wild-A** Guesses):

1) size: it's a double-yolker, which is very common with new layers

2) powdery texture: lots of tiny calcium deposits on it, which is also very common with new layers, as their system is still getting the kinks out of the shell-deposit process

And I guess? it's possible that the calcium deposits are covering whatever color the shell really is, making it seem a lot paler. Once you crack it, check out the color of the inside of the egg shell. If it's a pale blue, it's most likely from your EE. The outside of the eggs can be a different color, including green or pink, if any brown pigment is deposited at the end of the egg-laying pipeline. (This is often jokingly referred to as the "paint booth" around here, because unlike the blue which is present at the beginning, the brown gets "sprayed" on right before the egg is laid.)

My Buff Orpington started with lots of calcium deposits, too, which have pretty much calmed down now. But her eggs are never smooth, which gives them sort of a matte texture. It's a handy way of distinguishing her brown eggs from the Barred Rock's brown eggs.

I cracked it. It looked like this.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I cracked it. It looked like this.

Well, that's pretty impressive! Somewhere around here is a link to funny-looking eggs, including eggs with blood. I'll try to hunt it down and post it, unless someone else beats me to it. I'm still betting on it being one of the oddball things that happen with new layers.

Has she laid again yet?

 

[GApeachmama]

Well, that's pretty impressive! Somewhere around here is a link to funny-looking eggs, including eggs with blood. I'll try to hunt it down and post it, unless someone else beats me to it. I'm still betting on it being one of the oddball things that happen with new layers.

Has she laid again yet?

No idea who laid it. Most importantly should I be worried? If so how much?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

No idea who laid it. Most importantly should I be worried? If so how much?

I don't think so. If I remember correctly, it falls into the weird but ok when happens occasionally range.

I know that's not very helpful! I'm trying to guess the right search terms for the article.

 

[GApeachmama]

I don't think so. If I remember correctly, it falls into the weird but ok when happens occasionally range.

I know that's not very helpful! I'm trying to guess the right search terms for the article.

Thank you so much. As you know from our many chats I’m a nervous chicken mama.

 

[AnneGirlGG]

No idea who laid it. Most importantly should I be worried? If so how much?

Mine aren't laying yet, so I'm probably not very helpful. But my friend has many chickens, and over the summer it got very hot here, and most of hers slowed way down and some stopped laying altogether. When they picked back up after the heat broke, she was getting some very bloody eggs, and never could figure out from who since everyone looked and acted totally healthy. That went on sporadically for a week or 2, then all was normal. No birds ever seemed "off." She attributed it to their systems getting back to normal after the heat induced laying break.

All that to say, maybe this is just a new layer glitch? I hope your future eggs are perfect!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

A-ha! This is the one I was thinking of: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/ (overall article)

Specifically:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...problems.65923/#-common-yolk-quality-problems:

Can range in severity from a small spot of blood on the yolk to about a spoonful of blood mixed with the egg contents. Egg yolks form and mature in the hen's ovary and sometimes when the mature yolk is released it may rupture a small blood vessel, the blood released will end up being encased in the shell, along with the rest of the egg contents.

There is a list of possible causes after this, but I think just the rupture of a blood vessel (a "mechanical" injury) is what happened here.

@Ridgerunner @rosemarythyme @Mrs. K