Woah! Disgusting looking thing came out instead of an egg

[ScottBrooks]

Instead of an egg, one of our pet hens laid something that looks a bit like a golf ball covered in blood with a stringy thing at one end. Really gross. Other than that, she seems fine. Her previous egg was soft shelled.

Any ideas?

 

[saddina]

A photo would be helpful.

~Mrs. Brooks

 

[SangaChicken]

Is she a young hen, or a new layer?

 

[teebo]

are you adding oyster shell to her diet?

 

[ScottBrooks]

Not sure about her age. The farmer said 1YO but she has been a lousy layer from the start, producing huge thin shelled eggs infrequently. We think she is an older bird.


Can I upload a photo or do I have to link?

 

[saddina]

I think you need to have 50 posts here to post a pic, if you want to email it to me I can load it for you.

 

[ScottBrooks]

The hens get oyster shell mixed in their diet. Other than that they get an organic layer feed and a lot of veg scraps in addition to what they pick up around the backyard

 

[saddina]

I'm going to suggest you dissect it, it appears that some of her ovary folicle came out with the egg, she lays infrequently?

 

[ScottBrooks]

yes...maybe a couple of eggs every two weeks, typically in bunches. 3 eggs in 4 days and then nothing for a long stretch.

If I cut it open, what would I look for?

 

[saddina]

To see if it's a formed egg inside the bloody mass.