Blood spots

[Anonymous]

Out of about seven different hens that are in lay most of them have blood spots in the eggs.I have read that if a hen lays eggs with blood spots that trait can be passed on to her chicks, but of the hens that are laying none of them are related apart from two Copper Black Marans.The others are a Vorwerk,Faverolle,Jersey Giant and a Copper Blue Marans.Is there anything I could be doing wrong that could be causing this? Or is there anything I could try that could remedy the situation.
Your time and advice would be appreciated.
Thanks Anne

 

[Anonymous]

a couple of my non related ones have blood spots too, i just put it down to them being young.

i would be interested to see if there's an answer too
kat

 

[Tim]

Yes, blood spots can be a pain. They don't hurt anyone but can be off putting for people. Commercially these eggs would be going into products - just not into egg boxes.

I have found sometimes they get worse at the beginning / end of lay so hopefully you won't always have so many. Avian encephalomyelitis can cause blood spots, as can stress / shocks and various vitamin defficiencies and drugs. Free range hens eating grass helps since it contains rutin which stops the tiny blood vessels that cause blood spots from bleeding.

I once read that it varies between strains of bird as well as individuals but can be found in up to 10% of commercial egg laying birds - which are obviously bred specifically for egg production so it is fairly common.