Bad Girl...but I think my Mom jynxed me ;)

[Chicky Joy]

I got one soft shelled egg when my hens first started to lay. Monday I got another one. I was talking to my Mom and she told me to be sure to remove any soft shelled eggs ASAP or they'll eat them. So when I went out this morning there were the remnants of another soft shelled egg. I caught one culprit pecking at the puddle on the ground. I cleaned everything up. Another naughty girl had layed an egg on the ground nearby and that one was untouched.

My question is, will eating soft shelled eggs lead to eating normal eggs? If so is there a way to prevent or alter that behavior? I'd hate for it to become a problem.

 

[LauraSBale]

The only thing i know is to get out there when they lay so you can get the eggs right when they are layed, Know their schedule of when they lay.

I had this happen to me once years ago, and when a couple of girls just started laying, and i caught her eating it, i cleaned it up and left the wood egg in there, and i stayed around the coop just see if she would come back to see if the broken egg was still there, and she did, she kept trying to break that wooden egg, couldn't help but laugh. so i just left in there. and it never happened again, i guess she thought all the eggs were like that.
i have heard of some types are more egg eaters than others, she was a Plym Rock.

 

[Ladysonja]

I like the thought of using wood eggs instead of golf balls in the nesting boxes.

I'll have to swing by the hobby store and pick some up one day during lunch.

Thanks for the egg prevention eating tip as well.

 

[Chicky Joy]

Ours take quite a while to lay their eggs. Probably three hours, sometimes more, before they all have layed their eggs for the day. Hard to get out there when I have to work.

Hopefully they'll leave the solid shelled eggs alone.