Eggs without yolks
 

Two weeks ago one of my females laid 4 eggs, that appear to be without yolks. When I candle them, there is nothing in them at all. It is not one off, they all appear to be like that and they also feel a bit lighter for their size. Is she missing something in her food or why isn't she creating yolk? (I thought even infertile eggs would usually have yolks, wouldn't they?)

If the eggs are normal sized, they should have yolks in them. Can't say that I have ever heard of a normal sized egg not having a yolk.

Danny

They are definitely normal sized (maybe even slightly bigger than average, but this tortoise is older so she usually has bigger eggs than the other females). But they are definitely much lighter than normal, quite light for their size.

So none have chalked at all?

Danny

I don't really know. I am not very good at recognising eggs that chalked or not chalked. But probably not. There is no way I could overlook egg yolk.

So no yellow cast at the bottom of the egg? Have you picked them up and looked from the bottom up?

Danny

I have picked them up and looked from all directions, including from top and bottom, and all I can see is the same colour white see through. No veins (after 2 weeks) not even something yellowish at the bottom of the egg where you would usually have yolk.

I am going away for a week tomorrow early morning, so I am thinking after I come back I will open one. But I am pretty certain that not only they are not fertile, but there isn't even the yolk.I can take a photo after I open it, but it will be in a week time.

I just checked on the internet, if a hen produces eggs without yolk, they are called wind, fairy or witch eggs; they usually occur because the reproductive cycle has been disturbed. The hen doesn’t release a yolk before her body starts producing an egg to enclose it. This could just be her system getting into rhythm or could happen with an older hen whose cycle has been disrupted by, for example, a sudden shock.

This is about hens; I am not sure if it works similar with tortoises though. However, they were saying that those fairy/witch eggs are usually smaller than normal eggs, whereas my tortoise's eggs are normal size/bigger than average.

Another opinion was that some tiny bit of reproductive tissue got separated and the hen treated it as an egg and therefore created yolk and shell around it and laid it as an egg.

Is this your big girl who was ill Hanna? I wonder if that's why?

Yes, it is the one that was ill about six months ago. But since then she laid another group of eggs about 6-7 weeks ago and those had yolks, so I don't think the lack of yolks is connected with her past health problems. And It is now second tortoise who laid eggs without yolks (the other one had only one or two without yolks in a group of six eggs).

I just came back from holidays, so I will open one tomorrow or the day after and see whether there is something (yolk) in it, but I am 99% sure that the eggs are without yolks. Maybe the same explanation I found for hens occasionally laying eggs without yolks may apply for tortoises? Don't know....