What is this on this egg?

[julskinka]

Just got this egg out of the nest box. It's got several patches of these tiny little pill-like things, and a few just placed individually. They pick off. Just calcium deposits? Parasite eggs? I've never seen this before.

 

[Mvan42]

Interesting... when you pick them off do they seem to be part of the eggs. Or kinda stuck on it. I haven't seen calcium deposits that look like that but it could be. If the seem to be kinda glued on could be some sort of insect eggs.. are they hard or soft..

 

[azygous]

Calcium deposits. As hens age, their shell gland may occasionally deposit calcium for the shell in an irregular fashion. That's all it is. Pure calcium carbonate.

 

[julskinka]

Calcium deposits. As hens age, their shell gland may occasionally deposit calcium for the shell in an irregular fashion. That's all it is. Pure calcium carbonate.

Thanks! This is this pullet's 5th egg. I hope she doesn't start doing this more haha.

 

[azygous]

Let's hope it's just a beginner's glitch. It could become a chronic thing. If so, the little gal may be making shells that are thin in some spots on the egg while other spots have this buildup. I have such a hen and her eggs explode when boiled.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I've seen this exact thing in a photo in a different post before. Can't remember when. This doesn't seem to be normal extra calcium to me, it's not even the same color. . . .?????

 

[julskinka]

Let's hope it's just a beginner's glitch. It could become a chronic thing. If so, the little gal may be making shells that are thin in some spots on the egg while other spots have this buildup. I have such a hen and her eggs explode when boiled.

Sure enough her very next egg was tissue paper thin! Just tapping it would cause it to crumble. It's a miracle it didn't break inside her. I hope this isn't going to be an ongoing thing! Her first several eggs were huge (75-80g) gorgeous vibrantly green ones. It'd be a shame if it's all downhill from there...

 

[azygous]

Try calcium supplement for a few days until her eggs become good quality again. I like to use the same calcoum citrate with D 3 that you can find in the people vitamin section. One a day, whole, directly into the beak.

 

[julskinka]

Try calcium supplement for a few days until her eggs become good quality again. I like to use the same calcoum citrate with D 3 that you can find in the people vitamin section. One a day, whole, directly into the beak.

Her next one was perfectly fine! I guess I'll just be keeping an eye on her.

I've got powdered calcium for the gecko, maybe I'll just sprinkle that in some yogurt for her if it comes up again.