Caught my chicken

[Richard]

Yesterday I went to let my chickens out to free range .There was one of my Iowa Blues on the nest . She Started laying alittle over a week ago so her eggs are still small. Well about 15 mins later she came outside so I went in to retreive the egg and the other Iowa blue (which has not laid yet) was in the same nest. So I thought great she is gonna start laying now.so I went back outside the coop to watch the chickens.About 15 mins later She came running out of the coop with something in her mouth she ran under a tree and was squawking and pecking at something I went over and it was a small egg. I grabbed it from her .She had stolen the egg from the nest that the other Iowa had laidand was trying to eat it. Being new to chickens I have never read or heard about anything like this before is it normal? Has anyone else ever heard of or seen such a thing ? they are on layer feed and have oyster shell available free choice. Sorry for the long post

 

[flakey chick]

Uh oh, you have an egg eatter. That is a hard habit to break, and the stinky little bugger hasn't even started laying yet.

Some suggest injecting an egg with mustard, or anything else your chickens do not like. The best defense is to collect the eggs ASAP, but it sounds like your little trouble maker is going to be hard to beat.

 

[Richard]

Well she didnt get it broken open to eat it .I hope she not going to be an egg eater

 

[flakey chick]

That's good. Maybe you could stock the nest with ceramic or wooden eggs. Maybe even golf balls.

 

[blueskylen]

that's what I am afraid of when my hens start laying - they go crazy over anything that might be food, and I just know that they will peck at a new egg. i have golf balls in the nests now, thinking that they will have already pecked at them and not an egg. it won't be because they don't have plenty of food and treats - just nosey

 

[Richard]

right now the shells on the eggs I am getting is so thick I dont think they could peck them open if they wanted to .I have trouble breaking them open on the edge of the stove when I am going to cook them I just checked the coop and I have a RIR and a New hamshire red on the nests laying their first eggs