Fairy Egg: All You Need To Know
Have you ever heard about fairy eggs? Or maybe you like to call them wind eggs, rooster eggs, or fart eggs? Let’s see what the deal is with these tiny eggs.
What Are Fairy Eggs?
Fairy eggs are very tiny eggs, usually without the yolk. Due to an error in the egg-making process, the hen lays a tiny, yolkless egg instead. A yolk inside a fairy egg is possible, but it usually looks more like orange slime floating in egg white.
During fairy egg-making, the albumen forms before the yolk is released, and the eggshell shapes around only the egg white.
Once your hens are old enough to start laying, chances are, they’ll lay some abnormal-looking eggs during their lifetime.
They can lay weirdly shaped eggs, soft-shelled eggs, eggs with a strange texture, or fairy eggs.
It isn’t that uncommon, and there is nothing to worry about when it happens occasionally. But something is likely going wrong if your hen is only laying fairy eggs instead of regular-sized eggs.
What causes a hen to lay a fairy egg?
- Beginning of Laying Cycle
- End of Molting
- End of Laying Cycle
- Calcium or Protein Deficiency
- Stress
- Wonky Reproductive System
Beginning of Laying Cycle
Your pullet starts laying eggs somewhere between 18 and 25 weeks old, depending on the breed. Some take a little less time, and some take more time. But eventually, eggs are formed and laid, and you’ll find a fresh batch of eggs a couple of times a week.
It is hard to predict what to expect from their first egg, but chances are the egg will be much smaller than its regular size. It can look oddly shaped or maybe have a strange texture.
There is nothing wrong with the egg, so there is no danger in eating the first egg your pullet lays.
Expect weirdly shaped first eggs, as the reproductive system and egg-laying cycle are not yet on point.
As they are still young, their hormones are still stabilizing. Pullets can even lay two eggs in a single day. So, if you are lucky, you might hit a double!
Give it some time, and you’ll enjoy regular-shaped eggs in no time.
End of Molting
Most hens stop laying eggs during molting, which is a painful and stressful process. They need energy and nutrients to produce new feathers instead of making eggs.
After molting is over, they’ll start laying eggs again because they don’t have to focus on growing new feathers anymore.
However, kickstarting the lay after a period of downtime can initially make the fresh eggs look a bit weird. But don’t worry; they’ll pick it up in no time.
End of Laying Cycle
All breeds have different life cycles, so it’s difficult to tell when your hen stops laying eggs. Typical laying hens usually don’t age over five years, but some chickens can become as old as 20.
Generally speaking, a hen tapers off egg production after three years of age and stops laying after turning 6 or 7 years old.
Before egg production ultimately ends, older hens are likely to lay oddly shaped eggs or fairy eggs due to a disturbance in their cycle.
Calcium or Protein Deficiency
A lack of calcium or protein in your hens’ diet results in soft-shelled or ‘rubber eggs.’ These eggs can be recognized by their fragile shell or the complete absence of an eggshell and are not fit for consumption.
Fairy eggs are shelled eggs but smaller and lack a yolk. Their cause can be a calcium or protein deficiency.
If only one hen lays an occasional fairy egg, it has nothing to do with nutrition. But it’s something to remember when multiple hens inside your flock are laying abnormal-sized eggs.
To prevent calcium deficiencies, always make sure you provide laying hens with proper calcium supplementation.
Stress
When a hen feels stressed, she’ll decrease or stop egg production until she feels better. Multiple issues can cause stress:
- Crowded living conditions
- Molting
- Boredom
- Loud noises near the coop
- Predator attack
- Bullying
Once the hen resumes egg production, fairy eggs may form, but this will only be temporary, so don’t worry.
Wonky Reproductive System
Fairy eggs aren’t uncommon, but that doesn’t mean it should be a weekly routine. When you notice a hen frequently lays weirdly shaped eggs or small eggs without egg yolk, this could suggest a medical issue in the reproductive system.
To be sure what’s going on, you should consult your vet. It’s possible your hen is incapable of releasing any yolks or cannot develop the ova (but still releases them regularly). She could have underlying health issues, as some illnesses can cause permanent reproductive malfunctions.
If your hen frequently lays fairy eggs, consult your vet.
Can you incubate a fairy egg?
Of course, you can try. But due to the absence of egg yolk in most fairy eggs, the egg is not likely to be fertilized. Even if a yolk is present, the egg itself will not hold enough nutrients to grow a chick.
If you want to try it, you can use our ‘Egg Hatching Guide’ to get you started.
Can you eat a fairy egg?
Yes. Instead of other strangely shaped eggs, such as soft-shelled eggs, you CAN eat a fairy egg. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your hen’s first egg ever or not. You can eat it without any health risks. However, due to the size and lack of egg yolk, a fairy egg will not be as nutritious as normal eggs.
