The Poultry Keeper

lfreebs · Joined: 23 May 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Norfolk

Hetty has returned to laying having incubated and raised her chicks perfectly she really was a perfect mum.

She is now back laying and I noticed that the whites of her eggs, when boiled aren't a smooth consistancy, neither in the mouth nor between the fingers.

In a soft under-cooked boiled egg rather than having a clear white it is a chalky colour. Could somebody please tell me why this is happening and is it okay to eat them ?

She, like the other hens prefers the chicks' growers pellets to their layers' pellets, but she must be eating some of her layers' pellets as the yolks are lovely and orange.

Can somebody enlighten me please ?

Many thanks. Crying or Very sad

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2089 Location: norfolk

It's fine to eat them - it happens quite often and sometimes it clears with time but not always. I have no idea why it happens. They work fine in cooking, cakes and such.

CP · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:28 am Post subject:

I've never heard of it before? Confused

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire

Are your growers pellets medicated - a lot are.

lfreebs · Joined: 23 May 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Norfolk

No I use Allen and Page feeds and they have a drug free mill.

Oh dear I have a problem now with my favourite little pullet. Saw her this morning sitting on top of their coop in the rain with her head down. Didn't think anything of it but tonight when I let her out she really isn't as jolly as usual. Tail down walking around or just standing. Not eating. Thought she sicked up some clear water.

Could she be crop bound (is that what it's called or am I getting confused with egg bound ?) She does seem to be preening a lot. Have sprayed the coops this weekend with red mite spray and dusted all their bedding and the hens' nestboxes with mite powder.

Don't know what to do. Should I wait until they've gone to bed to see if she has a lump in her crop ? Then what do I do, massage it ?

lfreebs · Joined: 23 May 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Norfolk

Another hen is laying eggs that do not have smooth whites. You know in a hard boiled egg because when you shell them the white comes away with the shell.

I wonder if it is something in the growers pellets they are eating, which they prefer to their layers pellets. Roll on 18 weeks when the chicks can go on to the layers pellets.

Think I will email Allen and Page to ask them.

Stujan · Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 465 Location: East Sussex

We had just the same thing, the white coming away with the shell when hard boiled , something in the back of my mind tells me its because the egg is so fresh. it was the first egg since we have had our girls that we hard boiled as they are much nicer fried on toast . Shop bought eggs dont do this , I reckon it is because they are at least a week old by the time they are on the shelf. When cracked to fry our whites seem perfectly fine and clear.

CP · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 1:37 am Post subject:

You're right Stujan, it is because the egg is very fresh. Wink

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Yes, I tried to hard boil a fresh egg this weekend, most of the white went in the bin, such a waste....