eggs watery.yolks breaking?

[justtoni44]

HI,
Hope I am in the right thread.
I cannot figure out why some of our eggs are watery and the yollks break..like old store bought eggs.
These are super fresh.we pick up three times a day.
Our feed is a really great 16% layer...get it from a local mill.it is always fresh.
We feed extra veggies and grapes that we get from a local . To old to put on the shelf.but not spoiled.
Also about 1 loaf of very good wheat bread devided between aprox 50 chickens.
There is no change in any diet practices.
Some eggs sre watery...some are fime.
I do have a few pretty old girls that lay when they feel like it.I have lot of room so they
just hang out.and will for however long they live.

/
Could it be from the old hens?
Really got me stumped and would appreciate feedback.
Thank You

 

[sheaviance1]

Have you had any signs of illness?

 

[Judy]

Old hens are one of the causes of watery whites. I couldn't find much on yolks that break, which is frustrating because I occasionally have that problem, too, and mine are no older than three years. Since mine free range, I'm inclined to feel they are eating something that does it.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/30/watery-whites

Note you can click on a bunch of topics on the left.

 

[oldchickenlady]

Sounds like there is not enough protein, although the older hens could be the issue...I had to cut down my hens free range time, because I had the same problem. I feed good layer pellets, but when they free ranged all day, they just were not eating enough of the layer feed. Now I wait until 10am or later to let them out and the eggs are better, thicker shells and whites aren't watery. My girls aren't even a year old yet, so this is my first eggs from these girls. I expected quality issues when they first started laying, but the eggs got better for a while, then got worse again. After I cut their free range time, the quality of the eggs went back up and had good strong shells and nice yolks and whites. I did have oyster shell for them, but again, they weren't touching it due to being full of grass, bugs, worms, and all the other things they were eating, like my flowers! Do your free range? Do they eat their layer feed well? I would perhaps cut down on some of the extra stuff, like the bread and grapes, and see if that helps. If that doesn't help, then I would say perhaps the older hens are the origin of these eggs.

 

[justtoni44]

Appreciate the feedback
No, they do not appear to have health issue.....
And forgot to mention the free range..that could be it.........
As much as they love them, I'll cut the grapes out for a bit.

It is to much fun though....Our main Rooster takes the grapes from us, one at a time, and delivers them to the hens....It is quite an oreal.....he does not eat one himself until every one else gets thier treat.

We love him...........

 

[Judy]

There really isn't much food value in bread, even whole grain (though I feed some bread, too, because they love it.)

I wouldn't be able to bear cutting out their grapes with a scene like that going on. I might even just live with the egg problems (I do anyway.) How many coliries can a grape have? They have to be about 90% water, or more....