Hen layed a decayed egg

TopTec

This morning my 2 year old RIR, Molly, layed a dark brown, almost black egg which had a soft shell and it collapsed immediately after it hit the step.

She ate the brown yolk but there wasn't any awful smell with it.

She hasn't layed since Wednesday, but is eating as usual and is healthy looking in all other respects. She is free ranging around the fields and gardens. I feed her layer pellets, some corn and some porridge oats which she takes when she wants. She has a warm pellet mash before bed at night.

Any ideas anyone?

TT

aonb

Hens will sometimes lay a 'lash' which isnt an egg - its a bit of gunk from the oviduct I believe - Lash eggs are the result of Salpingitis (infection). Ive had hens that laid one lash egg, and never again, they can recover from the infection that caused the lash, just keep an eye on her.

Although you said there was a yolk, so it sounds like a shell-less egg with wonky pigmentation? sometimes a yolk (or the albumen) can be an odd/off colour - caused by something they ate!

Occassionally a hen will lay an egg without a shell
Occassionally a hen will lay a soft shelled egg - even translucent
They can lay 'wrinkled' eggs - where the shell is badly ridged.
These oddities can occur if there was a 'factor' during the formation of the egg - stress/shock, or simply a lack of calcium in their diet, or an old or young hen will lay odd eggs.
Heres an interesting article:

http://thefrugalchicken.com/abnormal-chicken-eggs/

Note, you might want to consider your hens calcium intake if there are odd shells/eggs - Limestone Flour is brilliant, and you would do no harm giving them this periodically (I do to keep good shells)

This is another interesting article:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

TopTec

Thank you aonb. Always learning. I feel a lot less worried than I was. Definitely a lash egg, identical to the pictures. I will go and see the animal man in the pharmacy in town for some vitamins for her.

TT

aonb

TopTec wrote: »

Thank you aonb. Always learning. I feel a lot less worried than I was. Definitely a lash egg, identical to the pictures. I will go and see the animal man in the pharmacy in town for some vitamins for her.

TT

Vitamins wont do much really - if it was a lash, it was probably caused by a bacterial infection, if she is alert, bright eyes, bright healthy comb and wattles, eating, drinking, clean nares she is probably ok, just to keep an eye on her.

If shes free ranging and moving about happily, she is probably fine.

You could try her with some natural probiotic greek yoghurt - its probiotics are good, theres a bit of calcium and protein too (my lot adore the stuff - end up covered in splashes, so if you see white flecks on combs/wattles later dont get a shock!!)

Put some apple cider vinegar (real, mother stuff) in her water too, never hurts - good for bacteria.