Every great once in a while, a strange thing happens. One of our chicken will lay an egg without it's shell. This egg is perfectly normal inside, covered by a thin membrane...but it has no egg shell. It feels very similar to a water balloon. In all our years of keeping chickens, this is only the third time this has happened, or at least that we have found the egg.
It sometimes occurs when chickens first begin to lay, and their bodies are new to laying and the shell gland is not working at its prime. It can also occur with older hens, for the same reason. It is always quite a surprise to go out and collect eggs, and pick up one that is missing it's shell. :)
oh wow, how cool is that?
ReplyDeleteoh, how neat! : )
ReplyDeleteThat is so neat! I have not ever seen anything like that!
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Can I just bring my daughter and have camp at your house for a week sometime? (kidding, but meant as a big compliment).
ReplyDeleteNow, do you still eat that? If you were collecting it, I assume it was for eating.
That is so cool! I was just reading something about the chicken having to come first because it contains the egg-making ability. You've just given me more interesting info on it — thank you!
ReplyDeletelol teresa! i'm sure your daughter would have a blast chasing chickens and butterflies with mine. We don't usually eat the eggs that are missing the shells...even though you could. The shell helps to keep bacteria/contamination out and i'm not sure if those things can penetrate the membrane... so it kind of weirds me out. :)
ReplyDeleteIn science class we do an experiment to get the same effect -- you soak it in vinegar. If you put the shell-less egg in distilled water it will swell up tight like a water balloon and if you put it in corn syrup or really really salty water it will shrivel up like a prune. The students are amazed at how the water moves in and out of the eggs.
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