Anyone else have this egg eating problem

[Taylettice]

I have a chantecler, silkie and buff orpington hen and my issue is that my chantecler will break open my orpingtons eggs. She won't bother with her own or the silkies just the big brown eggs from the buff. My theory is that the because the silkies eggs and the chantecler eggs look the same in size and color maybe the chantecler is breaking the buffs bc it is different and is breaking it bc she knows it's not her own egg? Has anyone else had this happen?

 

[Shadrach]

The hens here often break another hens eggs when more than one hen has laid in the same site; usually when one of the hens is planning to sit. I believe they not only know which eggs are theirs but also know whose the other eggs are.
The hens here also break and eat eggs that they know are not fertile. I've interrupted a few in the process to check.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

That isn't the reason...

Is your Orp's shells weak and breaking was a happy accident to be repeated? How long has this been going on? What are you feeding including treats and supplements? Sometimes it can be an indicator of nutritional imbalance... but I suspect it's more of a behavioral issue.

Add in some fake wooden or ceramic eggs so when she pecks she won't be rewarded.

If it continues... I absolutely will cull for egg eating!

But before that... maybe a kennel of her own where she only has access to her own eggs?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The hens here often break another hens eggs when more than one hen has laid in the same site; usually when one of the hens is planning to sit. I believe they not only know which eggs are theirs but also know whose the other eggs are.
The hens here also break and eat eggs that they know are not fertile. I've interrupted a few in the process to check.

You are giving WAY more credit to chicken than they earn...

They don't care if an egg is fertile or not and have NO way of knowing on the day it's laid. Many of my hens will go broody on infertile eggs with NO rooster around. And all of my hens use the same boxes as others... it's one way they know it's a safe place to lay that won't be raided by predators.

I'm sorry Shadrach, but your flock needs a wake up call if they are eating eggs the way you describe... NO way is it ever acceptable.

 

[EggWalrus]

You need to collect the eggs more often, or make/buy a "roll out" nest. Another thing you could try is ceramic fake eggs. Once they stub their peckers on that hard fake egg a few times, they'll quit that pecking and eating eggs. Trust me, stubbing your pecker don't feel too good.

 

[Taylettice]

She's been doing it for a couple of weeks now. I've tried that fake egg trick and she just pushes them out if the box. I've been constantly checking the box to take the eggs out as I notice them being laid but I dont have much luck in catching her before she finds the buffs egg and breaks it.

 

[EggWalrus]

She's been doing it for a couple of weeks now. I've tried that fake egg trick and she just pushes them out if the box. I've been constantly checking the box to take the eggs out as I notice them being laid but I dont have much luck in catching her before she finds the buffs egg and breaks it.

You may have to seperate her for a week or two. If that doesn't do it, I would make a Roll Out nest so once the eggs are laid, they roll out and the egg eating peckerhead can't get to them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I would try isolation in a pen where she can't access the other's egg.

Or a mustard filled egg... *might* work.

Boredom may be the issue... and I asked about nutrition as a possibility?

Roll away nest may be your best bet...

 

[Shadrach]

You are giving WAY more credit to chicken than they earn...

They don't care if an egg is fertile or not and have NO way of knowing on the day it's laid. Many of my hens will go broody on infertile eggs with NO rooster around. And all of my hens use the same boxes as others... it's one way they know it's a safe place to lay that won't be raided by predators.

I'm sorry Shadrach, but your flock needs a wake up call if they are eating eggs the way you describe... NO way is it ever acceptable.

I’m not going to get too involved in a debate about what chickens do or don’t know.

A couple of points though:

I was responding to the question posed by Taylettice “has anyone else had this happen”

My reply at its most basic is yes, often, you are entitled to disagree with my opinion as to why it happens.

It would seem from Taylettice’s later post the her very stupid chicken can tell the difference between a fake and real egg; maybe the idea that this very stupid chicken can tell her own eggs from others isn’t so far fetched in the light of this.

I don’t have a flock. Here, we have tribes, that’s the natural arrangement for chickens.

Flocks are for birds and geese.

You may find this a very strange viewpoint but the eggs belong to the chicken and in my view they can do what they want with their eggs; seems reasonable to me; even acceptable, apparently not to you.



If only I could get the hens to lay eggs in egg boxes!

Most hens here lay there eggs in the woods, the fields, on top of old tree stumps, under bushes and in my house; occasionally during the winter months or after a spat of predator attacks they might graciously consider making my life easy by laying in one of the egg boxes is their houses, I won’t be holding my breath.

 

[EggWalrus]

I’m not going to get too involved in a debate about what chickens do or don’t know.

A couple of points though:

I was responding to the question posed by Taylettice “has anyone else had this happen”

My reply at its most basic is yes, often, you are entitled to disagree with my opinion as to why it happens.

It would seem from Taylettice’s later post the her very stupid chicken can tell the difference between a fake and real egg; maybe the idea that this very stupid chicken can tell her own eggs from others isn’t so far fetched in the light of this.

I don’t have a flock. Here, we have tribes, that’s the natural arrangement for chickens.

Flocks are for birds and geese.

You may find this a very strange viewpoint but the eggs belong to the chicken and in my view they can do what they want with their eggs; seems reasonable to me; even acceptable, apparently not to you.



If only I could get the hens to lay eggs in egg boxes!

Most hens here lay there eggs in the woods, the fields, on top of old tree stumps, under bushes and in my house; occasionally during the winter months or after a spat of predator attacks they might graciously consider making my life easy by laying in one of the egg boxes is their houses, I won’t be holding my breath.

Sounds like you need to retrain them to lay in the nest. Only takes a couple weeks and you can let them free range in the afternoon after most everyone has laid.