Getting a bit concerned now!

[di]

A few weeks ago I posted pics of an odd egg we had & thankyou you all popped my mind at ease.
Today however there's a scarier one!Basically the pointy end is broken & looks like there's dried blood to it,although it could be discolouration where the shell is broken.Around the cracked bit the shell is a really dark brown & sandpaper type textureThe crack is about the size of my little finger nail & the bit around it a little bigger than a 5p.
Any ideas???
I'm pretty certain it's not been pecked at.

[RichmondHens]

Don't get worried at this stage. Can you identify the hen who laid the egg? Does she look off colour? The darker colouring and sandpaper texture is nothing to worry about. As the laying season goes on some hens (particularly ones with darker shelled eggs like Welsummer and Marans) get pigmentation "blips". The cracked bit may just be a slightly softer end to the egg. It may just be a one off so don't panic :-)

[di]

None of them seem off colour & it's nigh on impossible to know who's laid what as they're at the lottie & usually lay before I get up there.
I shall try not to worry.
My first thoughts were that maybe it broke slightly before it was laid?

[MaureenHall]

It might have been a thin shell that broke when it landed. I wouldn't worry too much yet, just keep an eye on them all, especially if one has a dirty bum

[Suechooks]

One of my ex-batts used to regularly lay eggs as you describe (actually could have been more than 1 as like you they're at the lottie and I'm not always sure who lays what). There haven't been any for some time now. I started giving them a good teaspoon of Limestone flour every day and also several have stopped laying for a few weeks so could also have been related to that - or a combination of the 2! One also used to lay a quite large egg with a rough dent about 2/3 of the way up one side.

[Chuky cupcake]

Hello Andi&Di, you could spray each one's vent in turn with gentian violet spray, that would identify the poor lady. We did this to see who pecked who. Val had a purple bum and next morning Ruby had a purple beak. Good luck x

[HayleyB]

Don't worry Di it seems normal and probably got trodden on or broke on landing soft tops are regular occurances

[di]

Think we've found the odd layer!
As we were moving them all back into their old quarters they each got a good dust down for mites/lice to make sure they didn't take any nasties into the freshly scrubbed/sprayed/painted/sprayed again & then today another scrub & spray.......paranoid?moi?
Anyway,while dusting them down I checked them all over,they all looked clear of any nasties but one had a very unhealthy looking vent...don't think prolapse...or at least not how I imagine it from everyones descriptions of it....but it had like a bluey/green tinged circle around/in/on it.
We got another egg with a dried up hole yesterday,I actually was starting to wonder if it was caused by mites,but hens & coops all are now clear?
Any ideas on the vent?Not sure if it looked bruised or just nasty?

[RichmondHens]

She may have had a injury to the vent which has now healed. Can't really say without seeing it. Just possibly a bit infected? Does it smell horrible? I'm afraid this means getting up close and very personal with your hen!!! Catch her up, have a good look and bathe the vent in warm water to give it a good clean. If you suspect infection I'd get her some antibiotics to be on the safe side.

[di]

Usually Andi holds them while I dust them down...think tonight I might do the holding & let him do the sniffing!