Why do My Chicken Eggs Taste Bad?

We all hope that our backyard chickens will lay good eggs since eggs are tasty. And that’s why we provide our broods with proteins, vitamins, and other nutritious foods to help boost the quality of their eggs.

With time, however, you may notice that the eggs from your treasured broods taste awful, making you wonder why they have such a bad taste. Factors such as diet and dust can make your chickens’ eggs taste bad.

Spoiled Eggs

You could be wondering why your eggs could be tasting so bad. The eggs could be rotten. Rotten eggs taste not only bad but also smell bad. You should never eat chicken eggs if you suspect they are rotten.

Never eat rotten eggs, since it can jeopardize your health. Thus, consider knowing whether the eggs are spoiled depending on their smell and taste. If the egg tastes terrible or smells awful, the chances of the eggs being spoiled are high.

Why do Chicken Eggs Taste Like Dirt?

Chickens’ eggs can taste and smell like dirt, irrespective of the breed of the egg-laying hens you keep at home. Your chickens; eggs can taste like dirt if you provide them with a diet that has too much Omega 3.

Hens will also lay eggs with a high concentration of Omega-3, making your eggs taste like dirt. Limit the amount of the Omega-3 you give to your chickens to ensure they don’t taste like dirt.

Inorganic Omega -3 isn’t suitable for your chickens. Other than making your chickens’ eggs taste like dirt, it can also make your broods overweight with time. Control the amount of inorganic Omega 3 you give to your hens to stop them from laying eggs that taste dirt.

Most likely, your eggs could be tasting like dirt due to storage. Storing your eggs in a dusty place means that the eggs will accumulate plenty of dirt. Keep your eggs in a dust-free area to avoid any chances of the eggs tasting like dirt.

Why do Chicken Eggs Taste Fishy?

Some chicken keepers complain about their chickens’ eggs tasting fishy. Chicken keepers who keep a variety of chicken breeds also complain at some point that their hens taste fishy. Check these reasons below why chicken eggs taste fishy.

– Storage mistakes

Chicken eggs have porous cells, enabling their eggs to absorb the smell and taints. Chicken eggs can smell fishy if you store the eggs in an area with food items such as fish and seafood.

– Outdoor plants

Free-ranging chickens consume plenty of outdoor plants. Some of the outdoor plants your chickens could be feeding on can make their eggs taste fishy. Among these outdoor plants that will make your chicken eggs taste fishy include onion, garlic, and oilseed. Control your broods from eating such plants to stop their eggs from tasting fishy.

– Fishmeal

Fishmeal is beneficial for chickens since it gives them an abundant supply of proteins to enable the chickens to lay more eggs.  However, fishmeal can make chickens’ eggs taste fishy.

Providing your broods with fishmeal will give them enough protein to enable them to continue laying, especially in winter. Nonetheless, their eggs will taste fishy if the broods are overeating fishmeal.

– Fish oil

People add fishmeal to their chickens’ diet to provide their broods with an additional Omega 3, which helps hens lay more eggs. However, fish oil has chemicals that can make your chicken eggs taste fishy.

Vitamins in fish oil such as vitamin E can cause an adverse reaction if you combine fish oil with your chickens’ regular diet. Balance the amount of fish oil you give to your chickens to avoid a response that will make your chicken eggs taste fishy.

– Flax seeds

People give their chickens flax seeds and other seeds to help their broods lay more eggs, especially in winter. Flax seeds contain loads of Omega-3, which can make your chickens’ eggs smell fishy. While it helps to give your broods flax seeds, too many flax seeds can be harmful to your broods’ health over time.

– Excess protein

Chicken keepers know how essential it is to feed protein to their broods. Although protein helps maximize egg production in chickens, excess protein can increase the likelihood of your chickens’ eggs tasting fishy.

Inorganic protein, especially from inorganic protein supplements, will make your eggs taste fishy since they have ingredients that will make eggs taste fishy.

– Wheat

Research shows that cows that feed on wheat have a high likelihood of producing milk that tastes fishy. Chickens and other poultry can also experience a similar effect from consuming wheat alongside wheat pasture.

While wheat is exceptionally healthy for chickens, there is a high tendency that your chickens’ eggs will taste fishy if you offer them too much wheat. Feed your broods with wheat at least once a week to prevent their eggs from smelling fishy.

– Nutrigenetics

Nutrigenetics are a blend of genetics and nutrition. This combination can make your chickens’ eggs smell bad. Feeding your broods with foods that accelerate their nutrigenetics, such as canola meals, can make their eggs taste fishy.

– Fishy gene

Some people are allergic to FMO3, a gene that is common in fish species. This gene can make cows’ milk taste fishy. This gene can also make chickens’ eggs taste fishy as well. It would help avoid feeding your broods with any fish food to prevent their eggs from tasting fishy due to the fishy gene.

Consider the type of fishmeal you are providing to your chickens since some fish in the fishmeal may contain a high amount of fishy genes.

– Genetic mutation

Genetic mutation can also make your chickens’ eggs taste bad. Some chickens have TMA, a type of gene mutation that hinders hens from laying eggs effectively.

This mutation disorder can also make hens lay eggs that taste fishy. Broiler hens are most susceptible to this genetic mutation, and thus they are likely to lay eggs that taste fishy.

Conclusion

Some chicken owners complain that their chickens’ eggs are bad tasting. However, bad taste in chickens’ eggs is preventable if you don’t give your broods food items to make their eggs taste bad. Keep your eggs in proper conditions to prevent the eggs from tasting bad.

avatar James
Hey, I'm James, a hardworking homesteader for more than 30 years. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from tending my flock. I've raised chickens and ducks for eggs and meat for many years. I also have experience with other poultry too. Learn more

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