Why are my eggs so ugly??

[nefarmgal]

Quote:
I don't wash mine at all, unless they are visibly soiled. I read that they have a naturally protective coating, so why wash that off?

 

[deserthens]

I agree, have also heard not to wash eggs they have a natural protective coating on them. Have you tried other sources of calcium my hens love cottage cheese and yogurt. i also give them vegetable scrapes, & garden greens form time to time. They are also spoiled and get scratch every day alone with lay crumbles.

 

[PatS]

I think you've hit on it: washing off the bloom. Our only eggs that fit your description are the ones that for some reason weren't laid in a nest box and got dirty. For example, if an egg gets laid off a roost and spends part of the night sitting in pooh. Or if a chicken has a bit of a poopy butt and dirt gets on the shell. Most of the time a damp cloth will remove any soil, but sometimes the egg then gets the spots you describe. Maybe from the bloom being off the egg. I will wash those eggs and eat them myself.

Do your chickens have a nice clean place to lay their eggs? Are they themselves clean and dry when they go into the nest box? I just chicken sat for some friends who use deep litter in their coop. The eggs were very dirty, because the chickens themselves were walking around in the damp litter so their feathers were dirty.

 

[skyangel]

The gritty egg shells I did read about that is caused by lack of water. Having had one hen who seemed to be having this issue I was concerned. I purchased extra water suppliers from the feed store, bec I thought maybe the rest of flock was keeping her from water. A week or so afterwards, the gritty egg shells disappeared