Chicken bald back

[cluckfest]

One of my ladies has started to intermittently lay very tiny eggs - about the size of a pound coin. I haven't managed to identify the culprit yet, but suspect that it may be Buffy who is lighter in weight than the others by 100g and bottom of the pecking order. All hens including Buffy look OK and are behaving normally, and laying normal size eggs. I have had three of these "eggs" so far, laid several days apart. When I crack them open there is just white inside with a tiny nucleus of what is probably supposed to be the yolk. Any advice/enlightenment welcome!

[Olly]

These are known as 'wind' eggs. It usually indicates a hen that's getting to the end of its laying cycle - she could be going into moult, or just reaching retirement - how old is she?

[Eggasperated]

One of my girls has been doing this almost as long as I've had her, she lays normal eggs most days but a couple of times a month lays a 'wind' egg. As she's now about 4 years old I guess that's her normal laying pattern .

[The Dogmother]

Wind eggs, witches eggs or cock's eggs, call them what you like... they are usually produced when small amount of grit works it's way up into the oviduct; if you crack it open, you will see that a true wind egg doesn't have a yolk, it has a tiny piece of grit like a grape pip, a very gelatinous white and thick membrane.

 

Some hens are more prone to them than others.

 

If it's just a small egg, then as Olly has said, it's a blip in their egg cycle and can indicate that they are reaching the end of their season, although that's unlikely at this time of year.

[cluckfest]

I think DM is right, the description of a tiny bit of grit is probably more likely than the start of some yolk. I hope whoever it is isn't at the end of her egg laying, they are all just 1 year old and most of them only started laying in February! Am relieved to hear that it is normal behaviour and not anything to get concerned about. I would be nice to get through a month without a trip to the vet!

[The Dogmother]

I wouldn't bother taking that to the vet; just make sure that they don't get too many treats, are fed on good layers feed, wormed regularly with Flubenvet, and get the odd splash of a good poultry tonic in their water.