What makes some eggs "freckled"

[Grandmamoocowchicky]

I also get freckled eggs. The freckles wipe off the shell with a damp cloth but sometimes it is harder than others to get off. I thought it was blood from a broken blood vessel or something like that. Chances are not but when the freckles wipe off it sure looks like dried blood on the cloth.

 

[Puff of Fluff]

I noticed my mixture of hens give speckled eggs on occasion. I thought it was from the calcium of the oyster shell they get. Most of it just flakes off with a lite rub and reminds me of the calcium tablets I take.

 

[12 Acres]

Here's my theory.

The shell pigment on a non-speckled brown egg is evenly distributed over the entire egg shell. On speckled eggs, the pigment (for whatever reason) is not evenly distributed which results in speckles. These speckles can be flicked off with your thumb nail, incidentally. The pigment is added to the egg shell as it passes through the chicken's reproductive system. I believe there is an organ that creates the pigment and applies it at the proper time.

I think it's genetic. I've got 2 Australorp hens that consistently lay speckled eggs while the other four lay non-speckled brown eggs. None of my Orpingtons lay speckled eggs. My 3 Plymouth Rocks lay pink/light brown eggs, with the BRs laying eggs that start out light on the large end and gradually darken toward the small end.

Chickens are amazing.

 

[redhen]

..

..i dont know what causes it..but.i think mine are cute when i get them...but i'm weird like that, so,..

 

[Stacys chicks]

I hope it's not the bloom. Because if you are wiping and scrapping them off that's not good. I get them from one of my BRs. Th egg also feels maybe a tad more chalky than should be. But they are eggs and we eat them and have no problems.