Hmm 🤔 Is this a calcium deficiency?

[chx]

Walked out to the coop and found this on the ground by the door away from the nesting boxes. It appears to be an albumen, yolk and membrane but all out of order and with zero signs of a shell whatsoever. I couldn't pick it up by hand because it was gonna break open, so I shoveled it up instead.

One of my EE's (her second year of laying) was checking it out, curious to see what it was, so I stopped her before she discovered that eggs are tasty.

Anyway, after losing several I am now down to just 2 hens in their second year of laying and 2 hens in their first year of laying. All the others have been laying eggs just fine.


Side note; a couple weeks ago one of the hens got sick with some sort of respiratory thing and died in 1.5 days. I did not have and could not get antibiotics without a prescription, which was annoying because I'm pretty sure it would have cleared her right up. But this was several days ago and the hen who I suspect to have laid this egg is acting fine.

Thanks in advance!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Doubt it's a calcium issue if this is the first time you're seeing it and other eggs have been fine. Hopefully it's just a glitch and not related to whatever illness you might've seen in the flock.

 

[chx]

Thanks @rosemarythyme, I figured as much but also figured it wouldn't hurt to hear from the more experienced owners on here such as yourself just to make sure.

Have a great day!

 

[Perris]

I couldn't pick it up by hand because it was gonna break open

if you get another one, usually they can be picked up without breaking if you are careful (and don't have long or ragged nails)

One of my EE's (her second year of laying) was checking it out, curious to see what it was, so I stopped her before she discovered that eggs are tasty

You don't need to bother. That's a myth in my (8 years) experience.

All the others have been laying eggs just fine.

That indicates it's not a dietary issue.

Side note; a couple weeks ago one of the hens got sick with some sort of respiratory thing and died in 1.5 days

So something is working through you flock, whether the birds are symptomatic or not.

this was several days ago and the hen who I suspect to have laid this egg is acting fine

she may be acting fine, but she may still be fighting off whatever the illness present is, and to do so her body will be focussing its resources on her immune system, not her reproductive system. So some nutrients that would normally go to egg making are being diverted to fight the disease, and 'glitches' or temporary cessation of laying are the result.

figured it wouldn't hurt to hear from the more experienced owners on here

Over the years I've seen this sort of thing a few times now, and indeed am currently dealing with an episode of it. I've formed the opinion expressed above as a result.

 

[chx]

if you get another one, usually they can be picked up without breaking if you are careful (and don't have long or ragged nails)

You don't need to bother. That's a myth in my (8 years) experience.

That indicates it's not a dietary issue.

So something is working through you flock, whether the birds are symptomatic or not.

she may be acting fine, but she may still be fighting off whatever the illness present is, and to do so her body will be focussing its resources on her immune system, not her reproductive system. So some nutrients that would normally go to egg making are being diverted to fight the disease, and 'glitches' or temporary cessation of laying are the result.

Over the years I've seen this sort of thing a few times now, and indeed am currently dealing with an episode of it. I've formed the opinion expressed above as a result.

Thank you for the detailed reply! Thinking about them possibly working through some sort of illness but remaining asymptomatic; some nutri-drench in their waterer certainly wouldn't hurt.