Outside of freshly laid eggs smell like chemicals

[nataliegen]

I have had chickens for 8 years and this is something new. 2 or 3 of my hen's (I have 7) eggs have a strange chemical smell. This started a day or two ago. I am worried that a chemical is washing into the creek water that the hens have access to.

The smell is faint yet sickening. It smells a bit like goat milk but more like a strange chemical. We are afraid to eat the strange smelling eggs and wondered if we should eat any eggs from our chickens right now.

They sometimes eat from our compost pile but have been doing this for years with no problem.

 

[Guitartists]

Hmmm..strange.... could it be something in their diet? I hope someone can answer this for you... I'd wonder also if it were my chooks.

 

[KellyHM]

Why are you sniffing eggs?

J/K - I really have no idea though.

 

[tim_TX]

Something has changed, and I guess its up to you to be the detective. The first thing I would suspect is the material that you use in the nest box. Secondly I would ask if you have changed anything in their feed; different brand of commercial feed, different veggie treats, etc... . Have you applied fertilizer to a garden? Have you changed hand soap and perhaps its your hands you are smelling. What do you collect the eggs in? Do you put a towel on the bottom, and if so have you changed detergents or fabric softeners, ......
I think you see the point I am trying to make.

 

[nataliegen]

I appreciate all the suggestions but I still stumped. Their feed is the same, same nesting material, use unscented laundry detergent and hand soap--(but it is definitely the eggs) same nest box material we have always used...straw. They roam around over an acre with lots of landscaping so it could be something strange they found. Haven't put down any fertilizer.

My daughter was making eggs this morning and smelled the strange smell when she was cracking an egg. We sniffed all left in the carton and 3 out of 7 had the smell. I collected new eggs later and again 3 smelled strangely.

 

[fairladi_chick]

maybe someone has been dumpin somethin in the creek,, i would have the water from the creek tested!