It started out like any other morning. After I got my husband and kids out the door for work and school, I went out to check on my flock and collect any eggs that may be out there. I was on my daily egg hunt (not all of my girls have taken a liking to nesting boxes). I walked through the coop with a train of chickens behind me waiting for their morning treat. And there, next to a few other regular-sized eggs, was this cute little, tiny egg. I had read about “fairy” eggs. Otherwise known as rooster eggs, wind eggs, witch eggs, or on the funnier side, fart eggs. Call them what you want but either way, they’re a fun little surprise to find! I’ve only found one of these tiny eggs before.
These 2 eggs are from the same chicken
What is a Fairy Egg?
A fairy egg is an egg that is missing the yolk. If you crack your egg open to find only white, then it’s considered a fairy egg. These cute little eggs are nothing to cause you concern. They are laid more commonly by young hens early in their laying cycle. But they can also occur in hens that are nearing the end of their laying days. Fairy eggs can also be caused by a disruption or stress while the hen is creating her egg. So, while not as common, it could happen in prime laying years as well. Fairy eggs are produced when the egg white (albumen) begins forming before the yolk is released during ovulation. Did you know it takes a hen approximately 25 hours to produce an egg? Creation is fascinating and it boggles my mind almost every time I think about it!
Cracking Open a Fairy Egg
I decided to crack my little fairy egg open to see what we’d find. Some people decide to not crack open these little cuties and just use them as decoration. But my family was curious as to what we’d find. I was actually a little surprised to see what looked like the traces of a tiny yolk! Isn’t it adorable!? With this tiny yolk, I’m not exactly sure if we can consider it a “fairy egg”. Maybe a “fart egg” would be more appropriate for this one! Haha!
You’ll likely find many things about raising chickens that surprise and delight you. You’ll also find a few things that surprise but not delight you. That’s just part of raising backyard chickens! I’ll tell you that the good far outweighs the bad. It’s the one hobby in my life that has never gotten boring or mundane. There’s always a new adventure with my girls!
Until next time,
-The Wing Lady