If you notice eggshell irregularities happening consistently, you should consult a poultry vet. Irregularities can occur naturally, but they can also signal that your chicken is having health problems. Throughout this process, events can occur that result in irregular shells: anything from pimple-like bumps and wrinkles to a shell-less egg. вЂњBloomвЂќ or a thin cuticle layer, is added, and the vaginal muscles turn the egg to push it out large end first. As the outer shell hardens, pigment is also added before the egg moves into the vagina. This is why adding oyster shell or other calcium sources to your chickenвЂ™s diet is so important. Calcium carbonate is diverted from the chickenвЂ™s bones to provide about 47 percent of the shell, while feed nutrients provide the rest.

The majority of the egg assembly time (20 or more hours) is spent in the shell gland. The yolk remains in the isthmus for about 75 minutes before traveling to the final stop in egg production, the shell gland, or uterus.

These вЂњchalazaвЂќ strings center the yolk in the finished egg.Дuring the next stage of the process, the inner and outer shell membranes are added to the developing egg in the isthmus. The burgeoning egg then gets its egg white protein, or albumen, by rotating through the magnum as strings of albumen are twisted around the yolk. The yolk then travels to the magnum, remaining there for about 3 hours. The released yolk is first picked up by the infundibulum, or the funnel, where the yolk enters into the oviduct and stays for about 15 minutes. The yolk then enters the oviduct, where eggshell production commences in the 2-foot-long internal assembly line. If a hen releases two yolks, youвЂ™ll have a double-yolked egg. During this stage, a hiccup in the process might occur, resulting in a harmless blood spot on the yolk. As an immature yolk grows to about the size of a quarter, the yolk is released from the ovary. As the pullet matures, the yolks slowly develop, receiving nutrients from attached blood vessels. Jacquie Jacob, University of KentuckyДЄ henвЂ™s reproductive tract contains two major parts - the ovary and the oviduct. Only a small portion of those ova will develop into eggs, and no new ones will develop as they mature, so chicks are born with the maximum number of eggs theyвЂ™ll be able to lay. Pullet chicks are born with tens of thousands of ova (yolks). As the pullets grow into laying hens, the right ovary doesnвЂ™t develop, while the left one becomes fully functional. Young pullets (female chickens) begin life with two ovaries. Egg Development 101Дespite how quickly eggs develop (over the course of 25 to 26 hours), the process is quite complex. If you understand what irregularities indicate, you can decide if youвЂ™re seeing a temporary fluke, or if you need to treat your bird for nutritional or health issues. The internal shell development process occurs in less than 24 hours, and during this time, even minor upsets can affect the final eggshell quality and appearance. Ever wonder why eggshells have odd bumps or discolorations? Learn how eggs develop, and troubleshoot eggshell problems with chicken owner and writer Elizabeth Diane Mack.ДЇor small poultry flock owners, eggshell abnormalities can be a bit scary.

Misshapen chicken eggs