Broken Eggs

[al]

My hens are just beginning to lay - about 12 eggs from 8 hens (total) in last nine days. Some have been broken on the coop floor and a couple have been pecked but not broken and one broken in the nest. So far, I have gotten 5 eggs intact. I have hens roosting on the nest lip and wonder if this is a part of the problem. I check the coop for eggs 2-3 times a day. I do not know which hens are laying and which are not yet laying. Should I just chill or should I be doing something? First time at this so any information is helpful.
Thanks,
al

 

[BettyR]

Make sure you have plenty of nests to go around even with just 8 hens I would still have 6 nests. Most hens lay in the morning before 10am so check your nests early.

Never feed the hens used egg shells without smashing them to very fine particles. If the hen can associate the shell to the egg; the hens are encouraged to pick at the fresh eggs in the coop.

If you do catch an egg eater, cull her from the flock at once. Egg eating is a bad habit that will multiply the longer you let it continue. If one hen starts eating eggs, other hens will soon follow.

Supplement your feed with oyster shells in a separate bowl...if they are lacking in calcium that will help.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=730

 

[Jenski]

Some folks have also tried wooden eggs or even golf balls in nests to curb egg eating.

 

[sundance]

do you have any coon and possoms around? I started finding eggshells in my nest but the egs were eaten,a neighbor told me that it was probably coon or possoms, so we have tried to block up any holes they might find.a friend also told me tht her mother used to take the eggshells and put them in the oven to dry out and used a rollling pin on them to smash them up really good and added it to their feed. marrie

 

[al]

General Follow up to earlier message. I have some pecked at and broken eggs (that may have been eaten). I have fed two or three broken eggs (not smashed finely) to hens for extra calcium. Has this initiated egg eating? I hope not. It is hard to tell which hen may be my culprit as only a few hens are laying. Obvioulsy I do not need egg eaters - any advise is appreciated. Is it likely these eggs are fragile as new eggs and breaking in the coop before I get there? Also, I have 8 hens with 2 nesting boxes - I have seen 3-4 in a box at one time. I have one golf ball in each nest. Do I need more boxes - I am a little croweded for space. Coop is 4'X6' in size.
Thanks,
al

 

[blueskylen]

after reading posts of egg eaters and my girls aren't laying yet, i have golf balls in the nests as well as a couple on the floor of the coop. hoping that they get so used to seeing white things that they won't be tempted to peck.

My DH had put some plastic colored eggs in one nest as a joke, and they like to push them around - we find them all over the run and coop

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
If you feed eggs back to your hens cook them first so the chickens can't put two and two together and figure out that eggs are good to eat.

To answer your question...yes it is possible that by feeding the hens the broken eggs you could have initiated egg eating. You can try to break them of this by getting out there early and often before noon and try to pick up any eggs that have been laid before the hens have time to eat them....and give them some oyster shell.

Give them as many nests as you can fit in...2 is not enough...try to get in at least 4 and pad them well.

Edited to add:

Do you have a run? A way for the hens to get outside? If not then you need one...chickens who are crowded will develop all kinds of bad habits due to stress; they will eat eggs, pick each others feathers out....I have even heard stories of chickens that will peck one another in the head and kill each other.