Chicken laying on floor, then pecking egg!

[starbuck]

I'm not sure who is doing what, but I have 2 Rocks and 2 Reds- one Rock nicely lays in the same box every day, and her egg is safe there until I get it. Maybe she lays every other day or so?

My assumption is one of the Reds- maybe even the other Red- lays while she is on the roosting pole, or maybe right on the floor under the pole. There are often two eggs, broken, right in that same spot every day. The options are a) they break on the way down b) they are laid whole, then pecked

I'm not sure if the chickens are pecking because they're curious (my girls peck at almost everything) or because they're hungry. I monitor their food to make sure they have enough during the day but not so much that they'll have food at night to attract prey.

Any suggestions? Increase food? Put fake eggs in egg box? Put mustard in fake egg?

I can't monitor the coop a million times a day to catch them in the act.

This is really upsetting to me, since every 2-3 days I get one usable egg and 3 broken ones.

Thanks!!!

 

[so lucky]

Maybe you could put some nice soft nesting material under the roost. Something that would catch the egg without it breaking, if it is layed while the gal is on the roost. I'm thinking a big pile of straw...
Can you tell if the egg is eaten? Is the egg shell broken in two, or is there a definite hole in it? After you post a few more (total 8 or 10?) entries, you can post a photo, which would be hepful.
Your problem may not be what you think it is.

 

[starbuck]

Thank you!

Most look like they were cracked in half, and the one I found this morning wasn't cracked in half, it was mostly whole with a little hole in one side of it that was like a dent- not broken thru to the inside, but pecked at.

You're right, I have no idea what the problem is!!! Ugh, so frustrating.

Again, thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate it.