Suburban Farm Life
Ok. I'm about to tell you something very shocking. Well, it was shocking to me since I'm not a real farmer, just a pretend one on a half acre lot in the big city.
Are you ready for this?
Chickens can lay eggs without shells!!
Seriously this has me completely freaked out! It seems our Lola is under some stress or isn't getting enough oyster shell or Vitamin D or calcium or something because yesterday she laid an egg with no shell. It had a membrane, a yolk and the white and was completely intact minus the shell. And it looked very, very weird to say the least. You could even pick it up (although I didn't) without breaking it.
Why didn't anyone warn me about this? Hello…farmer friends?
A little: Hey Heather, some strange things might happen to your girls like..no shell eggs for instance? Yeah, that would have been nice heads up. I was a mess seeing that egg on the ground. Ready to rush my girl to the vet to see why her insides were broken. Luckily, my best friend Google was there by my side to comfort me and tell me what to do in this emergency situation and remind me that everything was going to be ok.
So for now, I have Lola out in the sunshine, feeding her Vitamin D and a few organic Cheerio treats and playing calm songs for her through the kitchen window. Oh yes, I'm a riot. Go ahead and have a laugh at my expense. Seems I'm a complete idiot at this animal husbandry thing. At least I feel better knowing I've educated a few other unsuspecting chicken owners. Please tell me there's more of you who didn't know?
Here's hoping she'll be back to her normal self soon.
Will keep you posted on the Chicken Chronicles!
69 Responses to “Suburban Farm Life”
Oh my, how frightening! I didn’t know this could happen, but then again I’m a city girl. I’m so glad you figured out the cause so Lola can get back to normal.
What, no photo of said egg? :>) Yes, between teeny eggs, eggs without shells and some shells that are very soft, a lot of interesting things can happen when you have chickens. I’m sure your tender care of her will make things better. Your chickens are beautiful.
Wow, I had no idea that could happen. I would have been a little freaked as well! Hope Lola gets better……
that has happened from time to time with my hens. it is very strange and always freaks me out a little…
your girls are lucky to have such a good chicken-mother!
We just brought home 24 baby Lola’s. I’m glad I read your post in case this ever happens to one of them. LOL 🙂
Oh Heather, I do adore you and the way you provide laughter this lovely Tuesday morning!
Hope to see you sometime this summer~
xx
I learned something new today! Thanks for sharing! Also, have any of your hens ever gone broody? Is that even how to ask such a question? I never knew the meaning of the word “broody” until last year. Just wondering what the chances are of my broody hen, “Candy,” actually sitting on fertilized eggs!? We have one rooster and 6 hens….and I don’t see him doing the deed very often. Wondering if he is getting busy in the darkness of night when no one is watching…. See, you’re not alone in feeling like an idiot in all things animal husbandry.
How weird is that…I’ve had chickens for 6 years (about 30 of them) and have never had this happen…nor have I heard of it. I would’ve been in total shock too if I found something like that in our coop. Here’s a tip we got from an old time farmer…after you use your eggs, crush the shells and feed them to your chickens, it helps their egg shells to be stronger (you would do this in place of feeding them calcium). I’t works good for us. Hope Lola’s back to her regular self soon.
Poor Lola…i would of freaked out too…scary…lol 🙂 I hope Lola soaks up the Vitamin D and gets back to laying her normal eggs soon…
Xo, Meme
After showing my husband a picture of your beautiful hen house about a year ago, I finally convinced him that we needed some chickens. My coop looks like a cardboard box compared to yours, but I love my 7 chickens and the beautiful, tasty eggs they supply. I’ve never heard of an egg with no shell. Thanks for the heads-up. I too found a surprise in my egg box this week. Hope you will stop by my blog and see what I found.
I love reading about your chickens. I’m surprised Google didn’t recommend some oyster shells or grit for your girls. There was a chicken fight in my yard this morning. What surprised me was it wasn’t the ‘extra’ roosters but a couple of hens! The ‘top’ rooster had to break it up!!
Andrea’s tip is a good one. No boiled egg shells though.
yeah, no clue. i’m not a farmer or even trying to pretend i’m a farmer, so i had no idea.
Never knew that, and yep, I’d have freaked out too! Glad to hear it’s just a phase and that she’ll be ok:@)
We had chickens when I was little, so I did know it… but I always thought it was due to lack of calcium?
Another thing that is good to know is that if you feed them something with spices, the eggs may taste of it. My father had a bakery and would always feed them crumbles from ginger bread…. until he discovered that the eggs tasted of ginger breads! 😉
Smiles…
You could describe it as Lola having a ‘premature egg’ – nothing wrong with it except the missing shell. I’m sure she’s lapping up the extra attention though, it can’t do her any harm~
Yes, I actually saw a picture on another blog of one! I think she said she was going to feed her chicken some egg shells because it’s a lack of calcium that supposedly does that. Someone else said to feed them more calcium rich greens.
Manuela
How freaky! I am sure you are a good momma and will take great care of her needs. I want to tell you how much you have made me want chickens. I think it is that darling coop of yours. Unfortunately we are not allowed to have them here. We have gone vegitarian and I will not eat store bought eggs. If I can’t find someone to buy from then I will go eggless. 🙂
Love your blog and all your beautiful pictures.
just wanted to add that we toss the shells in an old pie tin and keep it in the oven. they can get browned a bit and be sure to crush them very well or they could begin to eat their own eggs. doing that regular always takes care of the calcium problem. love your blog.
Thanks for this post. We are expecting our little chicks to come in the mail today. I get excited whenever I read something new about Urban homesteading. We live on a 1/4 of an acre lot too. I am going to raise the chicks for three months without a chicken coop…Do you think the plans for your coop will be ready in the near future? Thanks again for the post!
Had no clue, and though I’m a city girl now, I was born on a farm. Your girls are just lovely!
I must admit, I had never heard of that! I’m pretty sure I would have reacted the same way you did. Glad to hear there’s a remedy for your girl :o)
Oh wow! We have two hens and one lays an egg daily. I’m so glad I read your story…now I know this can possibly happen. But I understand exactly how you feel. I love my girls! I’d do anything to help them get well, too. Funny how attached we get to these sweet birds 🙂
Hope she feels well soon.
Blessings
Wow! Who knew? As a bonafide city girl myself, I also had no clue…don’t feel bad. Thanks for sharing this odd and disturbing fact. I will file it in my brain just in case I ever have chickens. A most informative post!
one of my ducks was sick yesterday and i was neurotic myself- made my husband go feed them this morning just in case – God forbid- well, you know….all is well, though 🙂
Hello Heather, such lovely hens and great stories you do share! I must say you have the prettiest coop I’ve seen:> One of my hens has this happen from time to time. My dog, Fletcher, thinks they are oh, so sweet treats and much easier to eat without that shell in the way! I’ve got a bantie hen who’s given me three tiny eggs in the past week; smaller than a marble and oh, so perfect in shape. Enjoy your girls, they add so much beauty and joy to the world.
Don’t feel bad! I grew up on a farm with tons of chickens and I had to feed them and gather the eggs. I’ve never seen that happen!!!! What would we do without google…..
I’ve never kept chickens so I have an excuse, but if it makes you feel better I didn’t know that either! x
When I was in 8th grade, we got paid 50 cents an hour to “pick” eggs at a chicken farm in Moreno Valley. We would save any unshelled eggs and have an egg fight after we were done working. I’m sure my mom loved our laundry that summer.
I think I would have freaked out also!!! I was talking to my kids on Easter about me wanting to get a couple of chickens, I will remember this one for sure!!! Freaky for sure,Kathysue
We’ve had chickens for almost 2 years, and I’m amazed how much there’s to learn about chickens. Thanks to the internet, I usually find the answers. You never know what each day brings with chickens! I’ve been surprised by a 5 foot rat snake eating all my eggs one day. Not what you want to find when you open the nesting box! I never thought to check for snakes in the coop before that day. Hope Lola starts laying normal eggs soon!!
No, you’re not the only one! After 3+ years of chickens, I got one like this and did a double take before retrieving it and doing an internet search, asking friends, etc. Usually it’s just a one time deal. Her next egg should be fine or at the least, closer to normal. It’s all part of the learning curve that we experience having been so removed from agrarian life. But I love learning this stuff!
I would have freaked out, as well. That good friend Google sure comes in handy. I’m so happy to see a chicken post, what does that make me? LOL
So happy everything turned out okay. Every day is a learning day, I say.
Oh my word, I’ve never heard of this and we have had chickens for almost 5 years now. Lots of chickens. Literally hundreds of chickens. Glad to know now. That would have freaked me out if I came across this while collecting eggs. Glad she is ok!
you are too funny 🙂 and you have some very lucky gurls!
we have chickens too, sorry i didn’t warn you! but they will also “lay” eggs while roosting, or even walking thru the yard. that is scary to see at first cuz they look so in pain (but i guess you would be too if you had to lay an egg everyday!) and they molt, which as they get older, will look worse and worse. like they’ve been thrown in the spin cycle. but have no fear, they will be good as new in no time.
your a gr8 chicken mom and i LOVE hearing your chicken stories, after all misery loves company 😉
Well, I learned something new today!
I’ve never heard of such a thing! But then, I don’t have chickens, so what do I know! ::Jill
Not to worry. This happens…usually with young hens whose reproductive systems aren’t fully developed. I have been keeping chickens for 7 yrs now and have had this happen to two hens…one only once and the other several times over the course of about a month. Nature corrected the problem in both instances. It is freaky though…and I was really worried when it first happened too. But it all worked out…and the funky shelless egg laying stopped.
You’re such a wonderful chicken mama – I grew up with chickens on a farm and don’t ever recall eggs with no shells…but maybe my mom just didn’t want to freak me out LOL! Your chicken girls are real beauties. Hope you’re having a fabulous week, Heather.
Wow! I have never heard of such a thing. My family gave chickens a try when I was growing up but we had one problem. No eggs. Finally after a year or so we gave them to some more knowledgeable friends. They finally figured out that one of our hens was eating the other hens eggs. Yuck! Who knew chickens could have so many surprises!!!
Nope. Had no idea such a thing existed. EEEOOOOWWW! I would be disturbed as well!
Hugs,
Judy
I grew up on a farm ~ totally did not know this ~ that would have been very discombobulating to see!
It would seem that there is always something new to learn in Blogland! 😉
xo Catherine
I have to say I learned something today because I didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing.
oh ha ha ha… I’m so sorry I didnt warn you (but not too much beacuse this was such a greta post!). Yeah chickens can lay eggs with no shell, just like you might get the odd bloddy egg (if you have a cockrell) or the very exciting double yolk egg 😀
Just get her chicken feed with extra added calcium. But be warned, somtimes they just continue to lay naked eggs every so often!
🙂 I love that you play her soothing songs … 😀 Lucky chick!
H~ I love this post on sooo many levels! I can just hear you talking to me while I read it. You have made me smile today and I can’t wait for Jake to get home so I can read it to him. Blessings my dear friend! Kimberly P.S. I had no idea on the egg thing either. 🙂
I knew this could happen, but have never seen it. Not really sure that I want too! At least you know what has caused the shell-less egg and can fix it fairly easy. I’ll have to remember this in case it happens here. Your birds are lovely.
I have some friends who have chickens and I have heard that they can do some odd things sometimes (the chickens, that is). Actually, I have heard some pretty yucky stories. But, they are still so neat. I would love to have them, but they are not allowed in my neighborhood. My good friend has four of the most social chickens. They scratch at her back door wanting inside. It’s really rather sweet. They are quite lovely. And, yours are super pretty too!
xo,
Sena
Wow, that is crazy! I grew up spending summers with my grandmother in the country, we went to the “chicken pen” each morning and gathered the eggs. Never knew that could happen with an egg. I can remember once, my “Mamaw Dillon” had a hen who had been sitting on a nest of eggs too long, some had not hatched so my Mamaw was throwing them against a tree, most were just yucky but when she threw one, it busted with a baby chick inside, I cried and cried over that! I can tell your chickens are living a happy life with you!
I grew up on a farm ,and taking care of the chickens was my sis and my “job” . Our chicken pen was quite large, it had a big rock in there and we had to smash clam shells really fine for the hens. It was sort of fun to sit in the sun and smash the shells, using a rock on that HUGE rock. You brought back memories.
Wow that is really strange! I have had chickens for a while and have never seen that happen! You dont want to make the mistake of feeding them eggshells though! If you feed them their eggshells they will begin to eat their own eggs! That has happened to me before. The shells were soft so I was advised to feed them their eggshells, after that they started eating their eggs and saved none for us! I was devastated!
Hope she feels better!
I’m sorry to hear about Lola. I know there are several magazines for city farmers. I think one of them is called Urban Farm, Hobby Farms (I get this one)and Hobby Farm Home (I get this one too).
I have seen the Urban Farm magazine, several issues it’s a good mag. and likely to have more info on chickens. I love to see pics of your chickens. Wish I could have a coop.
I did not know that chickens could lay eggs without shells, thanks for the interesting fact! Driving around Austin recently I saw a woman hugging her chicken with a big smile on her face, which put a big smile on my face! It was sweet, so you go ahead and love your chickens too! I think they deserve a happy life. 🙂
Mom raised chickens while I was growing up. I remember the shelless eggs, but have no clue why that happened. Hope you don’t get too many of those! Hadn’t thought about that in years and years!
We just brought our (first ever) baby chicks (Goldie & Sunni) home this weekend & I read that on backyardchickens.com. Even knowing that I think I would still be freaked out if I went to collect eggs & found that.
Oh you are so sweet to take such good care of your chicken girls. I think I would have completely freaked out about the shell-less egg as well. (and NO, I wouldn’t want to pick it up either!) I am sure little Lola will be all back to normal soon with you loving on her so nicely. 🙂
WOW! Thanks for teaching me something new! No, I had no idea. Guess you don’t need to worry about getting egg shell in your recipe! Have a great weekend, Marcia
Who would have imagined?! Eggs with no shell? Good luck nursing your chicken back to health 🙂 Have you tried any Mozart on her yet?
Thank you so much for letting us see your chickens! I hope to have some next year and have been reading up on them. One book talked about the eggs with no shell, but I’ve never seen one. I’m sure that when I have my chooks they will become pets and I will not longer eat chicken. Love, Linda
well, I think she is a clever chicken to have figured this out. If I were a chicken, I think I would find it rather pleasant laying an egg without the shell over one with the shell.
I had heard of this before, but forgot. I’m going for some shells tomorrow.
We didn’t know either. We are suburban farmers as well and it happened to us. Also internal laying. One of our ladies died of internal laying. Sorry you had such a fright. Hopefully your girl will get what she needs and start laying lovely eggs with shells again soon!
My hen never did this. But, they did both get “chicken pox” (really fowl pox). White spots on their little red comb and beard. It clears up by itself, but if one chicken gets it, they all will.
hello chicken mama!
my girl izzy has been laying eggs with shells so fragaile they break when you wash them. i have tried the oyster shell as a suppliment- we are lacking in the sunshine department- not much i can do about that but maybe i need to change my talk radio channel to something more calming. LOL!!!
I absolutely adore these photos! Love it! Check out mines too at 81chapters.com
-kelly
81chapters.com
I have a blue and gold macaw who has laid well over 100 eggs and one of them was soft like this – kind of creepy! Hope Lola’s doing better now.
Donna
Your hen is absolutely gorgeous! And I’ve never heard of a shell-less egg. If you could only put a frying pan under her before she lays it, it would save a step….
I’m very, very sorry, but the end of your post had me cracking up! I could totally see myself talking to the poor hen, trying to calm her nerves, and giving her extra TLC. Playing soft music out of the kitchen window… that pushed me over the edge. Hysterical, in a very after the fact kinda way. I’m sure in the moment I would not have found it so funny.
So cute, Heather! Sweet little Lola. Just mix in a little oyster shell–that works very well. I would definitely NOT give them egg shells…they’ll start eating their own eggs, the sillies. Hope life is good for you these days!
We were told to feed our girls their shells back once dried a bit.We have done this for two years-they enjoy breaking them up and gobble them down and have never once ( in 2 years) had a go at their own freshly laid eggs.I think they have so many yummy scraps to eat and fun pottering around the garden that it hasn’t occurred to them.Give it a try? We have never had an egg without a shell and I do think it has something to do with the calcium in their own shells.
Good luck : )
Our girl Millie will lay these occasionally. The great thing is, if you pick them up very, very carefully…you can still use the egg. It’s perfectly good inside. I usually use my kitchen shears to cut them open, which is weird…but it works!
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