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5 Reasons for Dirty Eggs in the Nesting Box

by Jamelyn

Eggs are naturally clean when they are laid by a hen and only get dirty from the environment in the nesting boxes. The most common complaint related to dirty eggs are eggs that have poop on them. However, there can be several reasons why fresh eggs will get dirty while in the nesting boxes.

Fresh eggs can become dirty in the following instances:

  1. Chickens are sleeping in the nesting boxes
  2. Butt feathers are dirty
  3. Muddy run
  4. Worm overload
  5. Flies in coop

Keep reading to learn more about dirty eggs in the nesting boxes and how to prevent this common issue.

1. Chickens Sleeping in Nesting Boxes

Chickens do not poop on their eggs when they lay them since this is a physical impossibility. Chickens have a cloaca, which is the exit for both eggs and excrement. There is a shell glad that closes as an egg makes its way through the oviduct that prevents a hen from defecating at the same time as laying an egg.

The most common reason for dirty eggs that have poop on them is due to chickens sleeping in the nesting boxes.

Some reasons chickens sleep in the nesting boxes, instead of roosting bars, include:

  1. Insufficient roosting bar space
  2. Roosting bars too high off the ground
  3. Young chickens

As the sun starts to set, chickens will engage in rapid foraging, eating, and drinking. When they go to roost for the night, their bodies will digest the food all through the night.  

The area under the roosting bars will be covered in droppings since chicken poop while they are sleeping at night. This is also why nesting boxes get full of poop if chickens are allowed to sleep in them.

For more information on this topic, read How to Stop Chickens from Pooping in Nesting Boxes. It’s actually a very interesting topic that gets into chicken relationships and how that affects their behavior.

2. Butt Feathers are Dirty

The second most common reason for eggs to end up with poop is due to dirty butt feathers.

Healthy chickens should have fluffy butt feathers that are very soft and clean. However, sometimes healthy chickens can have butt feathers that get dirty from runny poops, which is common during hot weather. When they go lay eggs this filth can transfer to the eggs in the nest.

There are several ways to prevent dirty butt feathers from transferring poop to eggs:

  1. Provide dust baths. Chickens clean their feathers by dust bathing and preening. Dust bathing takes place in the afternoons with my chickens. They will find a spot in the yard that has fine dirt and will roll around, kick out a leg, roll their neck and head in the dirt, and then shake their feathers. This process helps remove any parasites and cleans off their feathers. Make sure your chickens have access to a dust bathing area with dirt that can be easily sifted and is not muddy or compacted. Also, it’s a good idea to sprinkle in diatomaceous earth (DE) in the dust bath area occasionally to serve as another insect repellent. This white powder is non-toxic to chickens but it will dehydrate any insects that come in contact with the substance.
  2. Wash your chicken. If dust baths are not enough to keep your chickens’ butt feathers clean, you might consider bathing your chickens in water. Some chickens will not mind standing in a shallow pool of water and let you rinse their bum. For chickens that are a bit more skittish, you might try wetting a sponge and trying to soak the butt feathers under the vent for a few minutes to soften any hardened poop. This is the same thing you can do for chicks to prevent pasty butt. After you have bathed your chickens in water, make sure they are able to dry off and do not get cold.
  3. Trim butt feathers. Another way to prevent a build-up of poop on their butt feathers is trimming the butt feathers on the chicken. Some breeds of chickens, like buff orpingtons, are more likely to get poop build-up on their butt feathers below their vent. You will most likely need another person to help trim the feathers and can distract the chicken by feeding them oats, garlic, or any other favorite treat.

I have also noticed sometimes that there are eggs that have a fine layer of dirt on them. I suspect this happens when a hen with dirty butt feathers lays an egg and some of the dirt from her feathers attaches to the wet bloom on the egg immediately after it is laid.

3. Muddy Run

If the chicken run is very muddy, chickens can track mud into their coop and nesting boxes, leaving muddy marks on freshly laid eggs.

I recently experienced this with my chickens when we had several days of rain (which is unusual for West Texas). The run got very muddy and so did the eggs!

The best way to prevent chickens from tracking in mud is to make sure there is plenty of bedding in the coop so the mud will be wiped off before the chickens make their way to the nesting boxes. You can also add bedding, like pine shavings, to the floor of the run to help soak up any moisture and prevent mud. Some people will use sand or small stones in their run to prevent a muddy situation in wet climates.

For more information on different types of bedding that can be used in a coop or run, read Types of Bedding for Chicken Coops.

4. Worm Overload

A less common reason for dirty eggs could be due to a high worm load in your chickens.

All chickens are exposed to worms in their environment. Usually, chickens are able to build up a natural immunity to the worms and they are not an issue. However, when a chicken is exposed to stress, including overcrowding in the coop or too much filth, the worm load can become unbalanced and lead to an infestation in your chicken.

A symptom of worms in chickens is diarrhea, foamy poops, or green droppings. This can cause the feathers around the vent to have even more manure build-up than what is typical in a healthy chicken.

Worms can be controlled by feeding your chickens foods high in Vitamin A, which helps build up their natural immunity to the worms.

Examples of foods that can naturally prevent worms include:

  • Squash
  • Pumpkins
  • Cucumber
  • Watermelon
  • Garlic
My chickens are enjoying a cool watermelon on a hot day. They are also getting a natural worm preventative.

Another option for a natural dewormer is diatomaceous earth (DE). You can add food grade DE to the chickens’ feed no more than twice a year at 1 tablespoon of DE per chicken.

If you think your chicken might have worms, get a professional opinion from a veterinarian. The vet can perform a fecal sample analysis and identify the exact type of worm in your chicken. They can then prescribe medication for the specific worm. Overmedicating chickens or medicating them for worms when they don’t have an issue can lead to worms that are drug resistant.

5. Flies in Coop

As small as they are, flies in the chicken coop can transfer poop to eggs and make them dirty.

Flies are attracted to manure and will walk on it as they are eating it or laying their eggs. This manure will be transferred to whatever the flies land on next. You can tell if a fly has been on something when you see the tell-tale signs of brown dots, which are easily seen on egg shells.

To prevent dirty eggs from flies, you will need to implement good coop management methods, including reducing standing water, replacing bedding, and providing adequate ventilation inside the chicken coop.

I explain natural methods to get rid of flies in 6 Ways to Naturally Get Rid of Flies Around the Chicken Coop. These methods are part of good coop management and when followed will reduce the fly population in and around your chicken coop.

If you find a dirty egg, you don’t necessarily have to throw it out. In many cases dirty eggs are perfectly safe to eat. Read To Wash or Not to Wash Eggs for more details on when you should wash eggs and when it’s ok to skip the wash.

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