Neali Tate, an Illinois resident who inherited her love of chickens from her grandmother, experienced a poultry phenomenon that sent ripples through the online chicken-keeping community. In 2024, one of Tate’s Isa Brown hens laid an egg of extraordinary proportions, significantly larger than her palm. Intrigued and slightly bewildered, Tate documented this anomaly by photographing the giant egg alongside normal-sized eggs for comparison, then shared her find on the popular online forum Backyard Chickens (BYC). The sheer size of the egg, clearly dwarfing others laid the same day, quickly captured the attention of fellow chicken enthusiasts, sparking a flurry of comments, likes, and shares. The story, however, didn’t end with the impressive size of the egg.
The true surprise was revealed when Tate finally cracked open the giant egg. Inside, nestled within the first shell, was a second, perfectly normal-sized egg. A further crack into the inner egg revealed the expected yolk and white, confirming it was a fully formed egg within an egg. This double-layered egg elicited a mixture of astonishment and concern from the online community. Several members questioned the well-being of the hen responsible for this unusual creation, urging Tate to pamper her feathered friend with extra treats and a “spa day.” Others expressed their sheer disbelief, stating that they had never encountered such a phenomenon in their own chicken-keeping experiences. The remarkable incident highlighted the unpredictable and occasionally bizarre wonders of the natural world, even within the familiar setting of a backyard coop.
The perplexing poultry puzzle sparked anecdotes from other chicken keepers, some recounting similar experiences with their own flocks, further cementing the reality of this rare occurrence. The comparisons ranged from the bemused “Just when you think you have seen everything…” to the more dramatic likening of the situation to a woman giving birth to an exceptionally large baby. The egg-within-an-egg phenomenon transformed from an individual curiosity into a shared experience, underscoring the communal aspect of online forums where individuals can connect over shared interests and unusual experiences.
To understand the science behind this avian oddity, Newsweek consulted Tracy Shane, a livestock extension specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno. Shane explained that this phenomenon occurs when an egg’s release from the cloaca, the bird’s common opening for the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts, is delayed. In such cases, a second egg descends from the oviduct into the uterus, becoming enveloped by a shell that forms around both eggs. This process resembles the formation of a double-yolked egg, with the key difference being a 24-hour delay between the shell formation around the first and second yolks. Shane reassured concerned chicken owners that these eggs are typically safe to consume as long as they appear normal, allaying fears of any health risks associated with this unusual formation.
For Tate, the experience was a rollercoaster of emotions, starting with disbelief and escalating to sheer astonishment. Her initial reaction upon discovering the oversized egg was one of shock, immediately prompting her to share the find with family and friends. The subsequent revelation of the egg-within-an-egg heightened her amazement, compelling her to document the process with photographs to share as evidence of this extraordinary occurrence. The story quickly spread, transforming a private moment of surprise into a widely shared online sensation, highlighting the power of social media to connect individuals through shared experiences and unusual discoveries.
Despite the reassurance from experts regarding the edibility of such eggs, Tate ultimately chose to preserve her unique find rather than consume it. The egg-within-an-egg remains a memento of this unusual poultry event, a testament to the unpredictable wonders of nature. The experience underscored the enduring bond between humans and animals, the joy of raising backyard chickens, and the surprising discoveries that can emerge from the seemingly ordinary routine of collecting eggs. Furthermore, it illustrated the power of online communities to connect individuals through shared experiences, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared wonder in the face of the unusual.
