Today I found this egg on the floor of the Cream Legbar coop. I have three pullets in that coop who just turned 22 weeks old.
This egg has no shell, just the white (albumen), yolk and membrane. Eggs laid without shells are not uncommon. There are diseases that can cause the condition (Avian Infectious Bronchitis). It can result from calcium deficiency, stress, and old age. If a stress such as a predator attack occurs, it can halt the 20 hour process of egg formation, resulting in malformed eggs, thin shelled eggs or shell less eggs. The good news is that it can also occur with young pullets just coming into egg production (oviduct training or test eggs). The reproductive system is just getting started and may not function properly in the beginning. I am certain this is the case with my girl.
The membrane on this egg is dry and brittle and it has shavings stuck to the surface. It was most likely laid a day or so ago. I am going to be carefully checking the nest boxes in that coop for my first sky blue egg with a shell!
I wonder which of these girls laid that egg! I’ll update with pictures when the first normal egg comes along. I expect it any day now!
UPDATE: As predicted, this showed up in the cream leg bar nest box this morning! At 22 weeks, one of my cream leg bar girls is laying. The eggs will be infertile because I don’t have a cream legbar rooster in there yet.
A sad update: One of my three cream leg bar girls passed away this week. I took her to the local university veterinarian school for necropsy. She died from egg yolk peritonitis. I am sure the shell less eggs and some of the thin shelled eggs I have gotten were from her. Obviously something went wrong in her reproductive tract sending yolk into her abdominal cavity causing peritonitis. I will miss my pretty girl. My cream leg bar curse continues.
Mary says
Now if I could only get a cockerel I’d be set. Nice to see you here Kathy!
Kathy says
Those Cream Legbars are beautiful birds…. with beautiful eggs to boot!