The Tiny Egg

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SemiSweet2391

SemiSweet2391

Songster
Jul 18, 2024
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Oklahoma
Backstory: we got our first 2 hens on July 8 from friends. Due to the move and the heat (95-110F the past couple months), they haven’t been laying. I’ve just been patient with them and hoping someday they will start up again!

On Aug 9, I found a small, oval, soft shelled egg thing under the roost bar. Today, I found this small, hard shelled egg thing with calcium (?) deposits on it in the nesting box.

I know which hen it is, our Sapphire Olive Egger. She is probably 2-3 years old. Does this egg thing today mean she is starting up egg laying again? Or is it just a random thing? First 3 pics are the one I found today, last one is the one from Aug 9. Thanks so much!!!
 

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I have one hen about 3-4 years that when she molts, it's for about 6 months. When she starts laying, we get the "fairy" eggs again for about a week. Then they go back to normal.

I'm guessing this is the same thing going on. They hold a chain of approx 10 eggs, very tiny all the way up to the one next to be laid. When they don't lay for a long time, those get absorbed. Thus, when they are going to start up again, they have to get that chain going from scratch again.

So your first one had no shell, then you got sort of a shell. She's getting better as she goes!
 
Assuming you can trust the word of the people you got the birds from, had the two hens been laying regularly before the move?
Were their eggs normal size before you got them?
The stress from moving can easily pause ovulation for a period of time, sometimes a long time.
 
ChickenCanoe said:
Assuming you can trust the word of the people you got the birds from, had the two hens been laying regularly before the move?
Were their eggs normal size before you got them?
The stress from moving can easily pause ovulation for a period of time, sometimes a long time.
Click to expand...
They are my friends so if they are wrong I would assume it’s just faulty memory about age etc. They have helped me a lot with my chicken journey. But it’s always possible they are wrong about age.

They said they got normal sized eggs before! So yeah I’m hoping it’s just the stress of moving and the heat. It’s been so very hot. They have a lot of shade and water and I like to give them frozen vegetables but it’s been dreadful!!
 
With that size egg, it is likely an aforementioned fairy egg. They likely have no yolk. If that is the case, ovulation still hasn't resumed. Until you get an egg, likely normal size, with a yolk, you haven't yet entered the land of free backyard fresh breakfasts.
Until that time, I highly recommend you cease feeding layer feed and transition to grower or all flock feed. Layer feed is for birds producing eggs.
 
ChickenCanoe said:
With that size egg, it is likely an aforementioned fairy egg. They likely have no yolk. If that is the case, ovulation still hasn't resumed. Until you get an egg, likely normal size, with a yolk, you haven't yet entered the land of free backyard fresh breakfasts.
Until that time, I highly recommend you cease feeding layer feed and transition to grower or all flock feed. Layer feed is for birds producing eggs.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the great information! Fortunately I switched over to grower feed last week, but because of the chicks that are there now. I have oyster shell on the side of the hens want it. Thanks again!!
 
SemiSweet2391 said:
Backstory: we got our first 2 hens on July 8 from friends. Due to the move and the heat (95-110F the past couple months), they haven’t been laying. I’ve just been patient with them and hoping someday they will start up again!

On Aug 9, I found a small, oval, soft shelled egg thing under the roost bar. Today, I found this small, hard shelled egg thing with calcium (?) deposits on it in the nesting box.

I know which hen it is, our Sapphire Olive Egger. She is probably 2-3 years old. Does this egg thing today mean she is starting up egg laying again? Or is it just a random thing? First 3 pics are the one I found today, last one is the one from Aug 9. Thanks so much!!!
Click to expand...
I've gotten one of those "egg things" before. No shell, but a thick strong membrane. Just weird!
 
Redding said:
I've gotten one of those "egg things" before. No shell, but a thick strong membrane. Just weird!
Click to expand...
That is a different issue. Tiny "fairy" eggs have a true shell.
What you are describing is a breakdown of the normal process of the calcium carbonate moving from the small intestine, into the bloodstream, controlled by the kidneys and into the uterus coating the inner and outer membranes that come from a different portion of the oviduct.
After the ovum drops into the infundibulum where it is fertilized if sperm is present, it then proceeds through the magnum. At 13 inches it is the largest section of the oviduct. It spends about 3 hours there getting the albumen added to the yolk. Then the 4 inch long isthmus is where it gets the inner and outer shell membranes that you are seeing on your 'eggs'. That takes almost an hour and a half. It isn't till it enters the uterus that the calcium carbonate shell is applied to the contents. It is only about 4 inches long but the egg spends at least 20 hours there and pigment is applied there also, if the breed of chicken produces shells that are other than white. A chicken's metabolism transports calcium through the body faster than most any other animal. When shell-less eggs are produced, like yours, there is a disruption somewhere in that CaCO3 process. About half of that calcium in the shell comes from that in the bloodstream metabolized from diet. The rest is mobilized from the medullary bone, a temporary depository for calcium to be deposited and extracted every time needed to build shells. It isn't always understood why that process fails. Sometimes it is diet, sometimes not. It happens from time to time even when there isn't much of a problem. If those eggs continue, then it could be disease or a dietary issue. It isn't just a calcium thing. Phosphorus, vitamin D3 and to a lesser extent, magnesium and manganese are important.
Diseases like Infectious Bronchitis and Egg Drop Syndrome can permanently damage the oviduct.
 
Last edited:
SemiSweet2391 said:
Backstory: we got our first 2 hens on July 8 from friends. Due to the move and the heat (95-110F the past couple months), they haven’t been laying. I’ve just been patient with them and hoping someday they will start up again!

On Aug 9, I found a small, oval, soft shelled egg thing under the roost bar. Today, I found this small, hard shelled egg thing with calcium (?) deposits on it in the nesting box.

I know which hen it is, our Sapphire Olive Egger. She is probably 2-3 years old. Does this egg thing today mean she is starting up egg laying again? Or is it just a random thing? First 3 pics are the one I found today, last one is the one from Aug 9. Thanks so much!!!
Click to expand...
That tiny egg looks like some sort of sweet that coasted in sugar. This is the kind of egg you can save for Easter.
 

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