Only 'wind' eggs

[chrismahon]

We have a TNN 'baby' at 22 months. She is laying only wind eggs at the moment. We've had about 8 so far. Each one has what looks like a piece of flesh at the centre, but one had a tiny egg yolk, about the size of a pinhead, in it. I am wondering if her ovary is 'falling apart' and if she will every lay again?

She is the prettiest, strongest, friendliest and top of the 4 young hens. But the reality is with the price of feed and the amount she eats we can't afford the €40 per year to keep her as decoration. Showing her here is a very complex affair compared to the UK so that would not be feasible.

She has just finished a moult and it has been very hot and dry here. She was wormed in April (with Flubenvet), so only 5 months ago. I don't know if these are factors that may cause wind eggs to be laid in succession, but none of the others have laid one.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[dinosaw]

From what I have read previously it falls into the same category as double yolkers and soft shelled eggs at the beginning of a birds laying life while they struggle to get into a laying rhythm. I can see why you would be worried about getting so many though. I did a quick search and it seems your not alone in having as many as 8. From a US site where they call them fart eggs.

There’s nothing to worry about with these tiny eggs. It’s just a fluke that happens from time to time. One of my hens laid eight fart eggs in a row one time. She was on a streak! She eventually got over it and started laying normal eggs again.

Hopefully this will be the case with your TNN Chris.

 

[chrismahon]

So I suppose we should be patient then and give her a bit more time Dinosaw. What bothers me is if she is then genetically predisposed to laying wind eggs. So, on that basis, we should avoid breeding from her should she overcome the condition.

 

[dinosaw]

I don't think it can hurt to give her another 4-5 weeks Chris, at least then you will know for sure whether it is a temporary condition or something more serious. One of my hybrid birds spent the first few weeks of her laying life unable to form shells and was egg bound a couple of times a week, the common wisdom seemed to be that it wouldn't right itself until after the moult. I was on the verge of culling when I tried a long shot overloading her with limestone flour mixed into porridge and sprinkled on grapes. Whether it was this or whether she just righted herself I don't know but she started laying normally after that even after it was withdrawn.

 

[chrismahon]

Well she has laid another one, smaller than any other I've ever seen. This time I can see absolutely nothing in it, which I hope is a good sign.

 

[chrismahon]

To follow up. She stopped laying completely and moulted. She has just laid the first egg since and it appears perfect (candled clear) -in fact larger than the normal eggs she laid previously. She is the first of the 'babies' to lay this year and on that basis worth breeding from. Her eggs at 62g are still much smaller than the 75g of her 'mothers' though, who aren't laying now and two have just gone into a heavy moult!

 

[Icemaiden]

At least you've had a proper egg, Chris, which has got to be good news. All I'm getting is the wind; no eggs since October!!