Wierd egg question

[ohiosteve]

I
We have been getting some strange looking eggs lately. Everything is going well except every couple days we get an egg that looks like this. All the other eggs are perfect, and the strange looking one is fine also but we are wondering what causes this. The shell is very odd looking.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I'm not too sure what causes that. Years ago I had a chicken that would lay an egg like that. it was only the one bird that would do it. The shell would be just as hard as it should be.

By the way, what's in those jars? Is it salsa?

 

[ohiosteve]

Yep. It's salsa, and I'm not one to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT! It's delicious! First year we've ever canned salsa and 95% of the ingredients are from our garden. I am thrilled with it and we plan on making one more batch this summer. I'm not too worried about the strange eggs but thought I'd ask about it.

 

[Chuckie]

We had chickens when I was little, and some would be wrinkled up on one end, and they were always really large eggs. I always look to see if I see one that looks like it in the "Jumbo" sized eggs. I think they hold them back so they won't freak people out.

I didn't know what caused it, but here is a site that tells you something about it with a picture too.
http://poultrykeeper.com/egg-problems/wrinkled-egg-shells

 

[dun]

I always thought it was from older chickens. We used to force molt our hens and when they turned about 3 the eggs started getting weird.

 

[Chuckie]

It makes me want to draw a face on it, as I have seen some heads that look just like it.

 

[branguscowgirl]

My chickens would sometimes do that when they first started laying. Not any longer though.
Backyard chickens is a very good site also.

 

[rockridgecattle]

I found this to be an issue in older hens, hens that need to rest and gain conditioning or lack of calcium in their grit. We had free choice oyster shells and grit for them always.

Not all grit is the same quality.

 

[greybeard]

Backyard chickens is a very good site also.

NOW, you're talking hobby farming.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Backyard chickens is a very good site also.

NOW, you're talking hobby farming.

Shoot! I meant chickencrossing.org
It is better! There are some pretty knowledgeable people on the forum that quickly answer questions also.

 

[chippie]

I learned about this when I took an egg graders workshop at TX A&M. As the chicken is forming the egg, the egg is plumped prior to the shell forming. If the egg is not plumped correctly, you end up with a wrinkled egg.

This poster is helpful about egg production and eggs. It is a pdf file and you can save it to your computer if you like.

http://www.alltech.com/sites/default/files/alltech-egg-shell-quality-poster.pdf

I wanted add and I hope that I don't step on anyone's toes, Backyard Chicken is not a reliable source. I learned that from a poultry professor.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Chippie ----great link! Thanks for sharing that.