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Have you ever eaten a delicious egg breakfast and noticed something wasn’t quite right? That’s right, it’s possible that your hens are laying eggs that are, well, fishy. Eggs that smell and taste like fish are a common problem among backyard flocks.
What is this bad smell or taste coming from? Is it a bad egg? If so, what does one look like?
The experts at Star Milling Co. will help you learn more about what makes eggs taste different.
Have you cracked open a fresh egg from your backyard chickens and gotten a whiff of something fishy? It’s a common problem for home flock owners to find their eggs have an unpleasant fishy odor or flavor.
As the owner of a small backyard chicken flock myself, I was pretty alarmed the first time I tasted something fishy in my morning eggs. My first thought was that the eggs had gone bad. But after doing some research, I learned that fishy eggs don’t necessarily mean there is something wrong with them.
In this article, I’ll share what I learned about the causes of fishy tasting eggs, and give you some tips to prevent your flock’s eggs from tasting fishy. Let’s dive in!
What Causes Fishy Tasting Eggs?
There are two main culprits behind fishy egg tastes:
1. High Omega-3 Levels
Fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3s are incredibly healthy fats that are great for your heart, brain, mood, joints, skin, and more The problem is that when eggs contain high levels of omega-3s, they can take on a fishy smell and taste.
There are two ways your chickens’ eggs can end up with high omega-3 content:
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Their diet is too high in omega-3s – If your chicken feed contains a lot of fishmeal flaxseed flax oil, canola or other ingredients high in omega-3s, it can cause fishy eggs. The omega-3s your chickens eat get passed directly into the eggs.
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Genetics – Some chickens genetically have a harder time processing omega-3s in their diet. Their bodies don’t produce enough of the enzyme needed to neutralize the fishy odor. These hens end up laying stinky eggs no matter what you feed them.
2. Breed
Research shows that certain chicken breeds, especially brown egg layers, have a genetic tendency to produce fishy smelling eggs. Something in their metabolism converts fatty acids into smelly compounds.
So a brown egg layer eating a diet with flaxseed, fishmeal, or canola oil is a recipe for disaster when it comes to fishy eggs!
How to Prevent Fishy Chicken Eggs
Luckily, fishy eggs are easy to avoid with a few simple tweaks:
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Review your chicken feed – Check the ingredient list and nutrition facts. Does it contain a lot of fishmeal, flaxseed/oil, canola or other omega-3 rich ingredients? Consider switching to a feed with a more balanced omega 3/6 ratio.
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Limit high omega-3 treats – Things like leafy greens, beans, nuts and seeds are healthy treats but high in omega-3s. Go easy on treats like these to prevent overloaded omega-3 intake.
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Supplement with vinegar – Adding apple cider vinegar to your flock’s water (1 tablespoon per gallon) can help neutralize and prevent fishy egg tastes.
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Try storing eggs differently – Fishy smells can worsen if eggs are stored at room temperature. Try refrigerating them instead to see if it makes a difference.
With a little trial and error, you should be able to pinpoint the cause of fishy flavors and stop it in its tracks. Here are some other common questions about fishy chicken eggs:
FAQs About Fishy Chicken Eggs
Are fishy eggs safe to eat?
Yes, fishy eggs are still safe to eat. The odor and flavor is unpleasant, but not an indication that the eggs have gone bad or are unsafe.
Do fishy eggs look different?
Nope, fishy eggs look normal on the outside. You’d never know just by looking at them that they will smell and taste fishy when cracked open.
Can you make fishy eggs taste better?
Unfortunately the fishy taste is difficult to mask once it’s there. But you can use extra flavorful ingredients like cheese, hot sauce or other seasonings to help cover it up when cooking the eggs.
Will hard boiling help with fishy taste?
Sometimes! The heat from hard boiling may help break down some of the fishy compounds. It’s worth a try if you have some fishy eggs to use up.
Why do brown eggs taste more fishy?
Brown egg layers like Rhode Island Reds and Marans tend to have that pesky gene that converts fatty acids into smelly compounds. That’s why you’re more likely to encounter fishiness in brown vs white eggs.
The Takeaway on Fish Flavored Eggs
While unpleasant, fishy tasting homegrown eggs are fairly common and not harmful. With a few tweaks to your chickens’ diets and storage methods, you should be back to delicious fresh eggs in no time.
The most important thing is not to waste eggs just because they taste fishy. You can take steps to prevent fishy eggs in the future, while still cooking up your current stock. A little creativity in the kitchen can go a long way to mask any unpleasant flavors.
Do Your Eggs Taste a Little…Fishy?
Learn the cause & what you can do to fix it
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Have you ever eaten a delicious egg breakfast and noticed something wasn’t quite right? That’s right, it’s possible that your hens are laying eggs that are, well, fishy. Eggs that smell and taste like fish are a common problem among backyard flocks.
What is this bad smell or taste coming from? Is it a bad egg? If so, what does one look like?
The experts at Star Milling Co. will help you learn more about what makes eggs taste different.
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Why Do My Fresh Eggs Taste Fishy?
There are two factors that can cause fishy tasting eggs – nutrition and genetics. When you feed your chickens food that is high in Omega-3s, the eggs they lay are also high in this important nutrient. Even though omega-3s are great for you and healthy, they can smell and taste like fish, no matter where they come from. If you eat too much of something good, it will taste fishy, which is not what you want for breakfast.
Another possible cause of fishy tasting eggs is genetics. When a hen eats her food, her liver normally makes an enzyme that gets rid of the fishy smell of the Omega-3s in her food. However, some hens have a defective gene that prevents enough of the enzyme from being produced. In other words, the smelly Omega-3s in her food get concentrated and put right into the egg yolk, where it ends up on the breakfast table. You can thank her for the healthy fats, but they’ll come at a smelly cost!.
Some studies have found that some types of chickens, especially brown egg layers, have a gene that changes the fatty acids in their food into smelly compounds. Putting flax seed, fishmeal, and canola oil in a chicken that lays brown eggs makes it smell like fish.
Fortunately, the problem of fishy eggs is easily preventable with a bit of dietary modification for your flock.