New to Hens, ready to give up! Broken eggs!

[SouthShore Phil]

Eggs over easy on coop floor!
Built a study 32sq Ft coop with a 20x6 half covered run. Got 5 pullets which are now app. 27 weeks old.
RI RED, NH RED,BARRED ROCK,DOMONIQUE & an AUSTRALOP. All fine, get along, no mites, no issues.
The rock started laying in the nest box 2 weeks ago and have had an egg almost every day. Last week and yesterday I found 2 eggs on the coop floor broken, but did not look eaten. Have camera in coop. Noticed last night the Rock went off the roost and stayed on the floor. This early AM I saw an egg on floor and the others started to peck/break it but not eat it. Later the Rock went into the nest but no egg, so I imagine the floor one was hers.
I have fake eggs in the nest box, boxes are clean and clean the poop trays daily. I am just so disappointed in the others Not laying yet and the problem of eggs all of a sudden on floor.
All the effort I put into the building and flock hygiene; sweet pdz, diatomaceous earth, layer feed, water with ACV,etc. And now I’m up against broken eggs. Just lost it this morning!
Any advice please?

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

Yes, they can drive you nuts, right!
They will teach you to be patient and observant....or not.

Eggs in places other than the nest is not unusual in the first month or so of laying,
it can take awhile for them to get the egg machine all tuned in and running smoothly.
New layers can be quite goofy acting, they don't know what they are doing at first and can be confused and anxious, it can take up to a month or so before they get it all figured out. Putting some fake eggs or golf balls in the nest might help show them where to lay. They may scratch around in the nests for weeks before laying. Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.

Did the egg eaten have a good hard shell?
...or was it a softshell(just membrane and not shell material)?
..or was it thinshelled and thus easily broken?

Thin or soft shelled eggs are easily broken then it's fair game for them to eat it, IMO.
This will not generally create egg eaters but it's best to get them cleaned up as soon as possible.

 

[Chickenchick11]

I agree completely with @aart . You may also want to check out this article:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/nest-box-aromatherapy

The nice smelling herbs may help tempt your hens back into laying in the nest boxes. Good luck!

 

[SouthShore Phil]

No the eggs were a good hard shell. I've eaten about a dozen and was amazed at how tougher the shells were compared to store bought.
Well I feel a tad better, just don't want to have egg eaters after all this effort. DEFINATELY LOOKING INTO THE SPICES NOW!
Just retired and of all things I'm worrying about Eggs:

 

[allpeepedout]

As aart said, if they are new layers, they may just be figuring it out. When my first flock started laying, I was very worried that I had egg eaters. Found eggs on floor, broken eggs, rubber eggs, pecked eggs, saw hens eating eggs . . . but a few weeks later, all was fine. New layers sometimes just don't know what's happening. Hope your problem clears up.

 

[aart]

I'd not add anything new to the nests.....chickens don't like change
.....and can be sensitive to strong odors, things like cedar shavings can harm their respiratory systems.

 

[SouthShore Phil]

THANKS - BEST I'VE FELT ALL DAY!!!!

AND I mean it!