Araucana thread anyone?

[chickengr]

My precious girl laid that blue egg this morning sometime. I came in to find it laid on the floor and EATEN! Only half the shell left!

No! She can't be an egg eater!! None of my other chickens are egg eaters so I know it's not them. Now what!!? I don't want them to learn this!

it is possible that the egg accidentally got broken, especially because it was laid on the floor. as the first egg it might have had soft shell that broke easily. give her calcium and don't worry. my chickens will eat every broken egg but will never purposely break it.

 

[Ravynscroft]

it is possible that the egg accidentally got broken, especially because it was laid on the floor. as the first egg it might have had soft shell that broke easily. give her calcium and don't worry. my chickens will eat every broken egg but will never purposely break it.

X2

 

[otakalhasas]

My precious girl laid that blue egg this morning sometime. I came in to find it laid on the floor and EATEN! Only half the shell left!

No! She can't be an egg eater!! None of my other chickens are egg eaters so I know it's not them. Now what!!? I don't want them to learn this!

AAARRRRGGGGG! My heart skipped more than just a few beats of fear when I read your post. I am SO glad others have responded with positive advice and encouragement! PLEASE let us know how she progresses!!!!!

 

[Bridebeliever]

Thanks guys! Yes I'll let you all know how it goes. I'm encouraged. It was a beautiful blue and I'm so happy she layed.

 

[chickengr]

Thanks guys! Yes I'll let you all know how it goes. I'm encouraged. It was a beautiful blue and I'm so happy she layed.

I boil eggs end chop them together with the shell at least once a week. that way chickens get everything they need and don't eat their eggs. this is my advice for everyone who finds egg eaters, don't kill them just give them what they need and they will stop it.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I boil eggs end chop them together with the shell at least once a week. that way chickens get everything they need and don't eat their eggs. this is my advice for everyone who finds egg eaters, don't kill them just give them what they need and they will stop it.

Very true! I've only ever had one true egg eater (but she was a bit nuts anyways) and it stopped after I started doing the same thing... although, when I'm lazy I toss them raw through the fence for them... busts up the shell and they eat it all up... have never had an egg eater since...

 

[Bridebeliever]

After I found the eaten egg this morning we left for church and were gone until 8pm tonight. I was totally worried because my other chickens were going to lay and I won't be there to collect them immediately. It was a nail biter of a day wondering if I was going to come home to an egg masacare!

Good news! 7 other chickens laid their eggs in the three nesting boxes and NONE were broken! I'm praying (remember, I went to church!) that this was a random event and she won't eat any other of her eggs. Could it be the blue color that enticed her or the others? The rest lay brown or white eggs.

Oh, and they are on really good nutrition. A complete layer formula. Extra grit and oyster shell free choice, they free range (bazillions of worms!) and I give them BOSS for treats. Her egg shell was strong, not soft or thin at all.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Egg color doesn't excite them as it does us, lol...

No, I really do think it just broke when it got laid on the floor... it's been a while since she laid so she might not have been expecting it and it just popped out...

Once it broke, it is like chicken crack to them... they will eat it all up... natural curiosity starts with a peck check, then good eats is gobbled...

I break raw eggs for mine and have never had a hen purposely break and eat eggs in the nest boxes...

 

[chickengr]

After I found the eaten egg this morning we left for church and were gone until 8pm tonight. I was totally worried because my other chickens were going to lay and I won't be there to collect them immediately. It was a nail biter of a day wondering if I was going to come home to an egg masacare!

Good news! 7 other chickens laid their eggs in the three nesting boxes and NONE were broken! I'm praying (remember, I went to church!) that this was a random event and she won't eat any other of her eggs. Could it be the blue color that enticed her or the others? The rest lay brown or white eggs.

Oh, and they are on really good nutrition. A complete layer formula. Extra grit and oyster shell free choice, they free range (bazillions of worms!) and I give them BOSS for treats. Her egg shell was strong, not soft or thin at all.

well that is a sign you don't have an egg eater!

some chickens that are low in pecking order don't eat enough because the others won't let them. that's why I boil eggs from time to time and make sure all of them eat them. I also give raw eggs when I don't have time to boil them. no egg eaters so far.

 

[Bridebeliever]

Well, bless her cotton pickin heart. Did I mention her name? It's The Duchess of Blue, we call her Duchess for short. Actually one of my DD calls her Quarter because she says she looks like she's missing some "chicken" being rumpless.

So on to the saga of the day. Yesterday was the egg on the coop floor, broken and eaten. TODAY she sat in one of the nesting boxes for TWO HOURS...only to later hop out and not deposit an egg. Man! What is that all about I wondered!? So she was out of the nesting box for about 15 minutes pecking around with the rest of the girls, then she lets out a quick little "BOK!", and plop the egg hits the ground! So I quick went over and grabbed it, it didn't break thank goodness, and she just goes on her merry way as if nothing happened! This is cracking me up!! (No pun intended.). So, at the very least...she knows to go in a nesting box at least AND this has been two eggs in two days!

Here's a picture of her egg next to my Andalusian and my Chocolate Orpington (both of their eggs are the size of large store eggs).