2 questions...

[missy1971]

#1 I have a egg pecker...small holes in the top of the egg, just one peck ...advice on how to stop this and find who is doing it!

#2 I have a couple of older girls, still not yeat a year but older than the others who just started laying withing the last week, well the older girls all of the sudden started picking on the younger new layers...any ideas why???

 

[junebuggena]

#1- It's very common for new layers to be curious about eggs. A few dummy eggs left in the nest for their inspection will help satisfy their curiosity. Prompt collection of eggs will also help reduce losses.

#2 With maturing pullets comes a shake up in the pecking order. It's pretty normal. The younger girls are basically hormonal teenagers, and the older girls are trying to hold on to their respected positions at the top of the pecking order.

 

[missy1971]

Thanks!!!
My poor sweet Cochins are the recipients of the picking...poor girls!

 

[rebrascora]

Regarding Q.1 Are you sure that the eggs are being pecked? The reason I ask is that new layers often scratch the nesting material out of the nest boxes and then when they lay an egg it hits the hard floor of the nest box and dinks the shell. It is quite a common problem with new layers that perhaps don't quite have as hard shells as they should. If they are in fact pecking the eggs, putting curtains across the front of the nest boxes, to make them darker can help or ultimately, roll away nest boxes if it becomes a serious problem.

 

[missy1971]

im not sure... it seems to be only the ends of the egg... and looks to be just one little peck

 

[rebrascora]

Is there an actual hole or just a dent in the shell. If it is a hole, sometimes they can get laid like that and one bird may continue to lay them that way or their system may sort itself out. Can you post a photo of them?
Usually if they peck them, they get a taste of egg and then devour the lot, leaving a soiled patch in the nest box and egg residue on any other eggs. Is the internal membrane breached or just a small hole in the shell?

 

[missy1971]

No membrane breached ...here is a pic

 

[rebrascora]

Those look quite thin shelled and are probably getting dented or chipped as they are laid (since it it the air cell end that is damaged) or possible by a claw nail when the hens are climbing in and out of the nest. Young pullets often lay poor quality shells or all sorts of other anomalies when their systems are just starting up. Hopefully it will sort itself out, but ensuring they have access to plenty of calcium (crushed oyster shells or egg shells) when they feel they need it, either in a separate bowl or scattered on the ground may help.
I would not be concerned that this is the start of egg eating, but if those egg shells continue to be frail and get properly broken, they will almost certainly eat as much of them as they can and the other eggs and nest box end up a sticky mess. I had a hybrid that started laying them like that as she got older and if I didn't remove them as soon as she laid them, they got broken and I had a mess to clean up. The hens never ate any other eggs, just the weak shelled ones that got accidentally broken and I think that is acceptable behaviour.

 

[missy1971]

Thanks!!