wrinkle eggs

[BFreeland]

After a molt I have one chicken who is now laying wrinkle eggs. I do have oyster shell in their food and break up egg shells to mix with scratch when put out. Any suggestions on what else I should do? I am a newbe with having back yard chickens. Thank you

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I have seen that a lot lately. It has come and gone. I sure it will pass though I have no technical explanation.

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[bruceha2000]

How old is the hen and just HOW wrinkly are the eggs? I have a couple of hens that "put" some small grooves in their eggs but I wouldn't call them wrinkly. And I have a 5.5 Y/O that laid eggs with really thin shells last year. She has laid a couple of normal ones starting last week but also one the was thin on the pointy end. My girls get layer feed and have oyster shell available at all times.

I wouldn't put the oyster shell in the food but in a separate container so they can get it when they want it. They seem to instinctively know when they need more calcium.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Wrinkled eggs can happen after a molt, as can shell less and thin shelled eggs. Like some first time layers do. The eggs can bump into one another till they get the conveyer operating smoothly. . GC

 

[BFreeland]

How old is the hen and just HOW wrinkly are the eggs? I have a couple of hens that "put" some small grooves in their eggs but I wouldn't call them wrinkly. And I have a 5.5 Y/O that laid eggs with really thin shells last year. She has laid a couple of normal ones starting last week but also one the was thin on the pointy end. My girls get layer feed and have oyster shell available at all times.

I wouldn't put the oyster shell in the food but in a separate container so they can get it when they want it. They seem to instinctively know when they need more calcium.

My hen will be 2 in March, the entire egg is winkley although not too thin..I will take your suggestion and separate out the oyster shell from the food.
Thank you

 

[bruceha2000]

My hen will be 2 in March, the entire egg is winkley although not too thin..I will take your suggestion and separate out the oyster shell from the food.
Thank you

To be clear, serving up the oyster shell separately won't have any effect on the wrinkly eggs. But I think there is less waste when they don't chuck things out of the feeder that they don't need right then. I think some people figure the hens will "accidentally" eat it along with the food but if you've ever hand fed scratch to a chicken (and watch closely!) they rapidly pick out exactly what they like best first. And as I said, they KNOW when they need more calcium and will intentionally go to the separate feeder to get it. That is one way I can tell a pullet is getting close to laying.

Wrinkled eggs can happen after a molt, as can shell less and thin shelled eggs. Like some first time layers do. The eggs can bump into one another till they get the conveyer operating smoothly.View attachment 1235255. GC

I have gotten an occasional egg like that. Usually happens once, then the hen cleans up here act. IIRC, it is only the girl that was laying the thin shelled eggs last year that has given me the "deflated balloon" eggs but she's been doing it for several years.

 

[sumi]

@BFreeland see here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[love4mychickens]

Wrinkled eggs can happen after a molt, as can shell less and thin shelled eggs. Like some first time layers do. The eggs can bump into one another till they get the conveyer operating smoothly. . GC

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