Caught chicken eating her egg

[Engine823]

Saw my one of my ISA Brown hens pecking in the nest box. I investigated and found a couple tiny pieces of an egg shell left and everything else gone. Is it probable it broke when she laid it and she ate it or do you think she may have purposely broke it? I have never saw any evidence of this before? They are 1 1/2 old
Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Either is possible but needs to be addressed before she teaches the whole flock how good they taste.
Collect often, make sure dietary calcium/phosphorus/D3 is proper, add several fake eggs to the nest. It is a good idea to isolate the offending bird till you break her. It may also be necessary to cull her if you can't break the habit.

 

[FluffehChick]

In most cases, the egg accidentally breaks and the hen explores the contents (because she is curious of what that orange stuff is *the yolk*) and finds it tastes bad/good.

Don't worry though, this is common in chickens.

 

[Engine823]

So it won't cause her to start doing this on a regular basis I hope?

 

[Engine823]

Either is possible but needs to be addressed before she teaches the whole flock how good they taste.
Collect often, make sure dietary calcium/phosphorus/D3 is proper, add several fake eggs to the nest. It is a good idea to isolate the offending bird till you break her. It may also be necessary to cull her if you can't break the habit.

Ok I will try to collect more often. I have oyster shell in the coop available. I have placed fake eggs in the nest boxes before and they just throw them out but I will try again.

 

[Welshies]

Egg eating is a serious issue in a lot of hens. If an egg breaks and they taste their eggs, they often start eating eggs on a regular basis (unless the egg was completely crushed already). This habit can be nearly impossible to break.
Make sure you have an 18-22% feed available and oyster shell available free-choice. Keep an eye on your hen to ensure she doesn't repeat this behavior.

 

[birdofhermes]

well they are her eggs

 

[Welshies]

well they are her eggs

No chicken should be eating eggs. It is a serious issue, that can cause a lifetime of egg-eating within a flock.

 

[Folly's place]

Sometimes an egg breaks and then it will be eaten by whoever finds it. The problem can become 'egg eating', which occurs when a bird decides to punch a hole in the egg and eat it. That's a planned activity, and needs to stop immediately.
Make sure your diet is good, as mentioned. Watch for eggs with fragile shells, easily cracked, and if it's diet, fix that.
An egg eating bird will have yolk on her face and bill, so look for that.
I have had to cull individuals who decided that eggs taste best, just a couple of times. You do want to eliminate the offender before she teaches others to do the same!
Fake eggs, or bad tasting substances in eggs, may cure her, or not.
Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Ok I will try to collect more often. I have oyster shell in the coop available. I have placed fake eggs in the nest boxes before and they just throw them out but I will try again.

The purpose of the fake egg (other than showing chickens where to lay) is if you have a potential egg eater and they try to break the fake egg, they fail and give up.
Having several is more effective.