Cracked Egg?!?

[chixcoop]

I just went out to the coop to get eggs, and I decided to check a spot in the woods that the hens used to lay in before we built them their egg boxes. There has been a sufficient decrease of eggs being layed in there, but when I went out there (I have not checked in 3 days), there was one egg un-touched and unharmed, but next to it was egg shells from a previous egg, not like half of an egg broken open, but like tiny shells you get when you crunch or grind up an egg. I am wondering If I possibly have an egg eater. If it was an egg eater, would it have eaten the other egg next to it? We also just had a large storm, so could it have been from that? I don't think that it is a fox, or other predator, because if it was, the other egg would have been gone, unless the egg was layed after the eaten egg. Plus there was an egg in the laying box that was not touched. If there was a egg layer, would she go on a eating spree, eating every possible egg?

 

[tdepointe]

It has been a while since you posted this so are the hens still laying in the woods?
The way described the egg shell that was eaten it sounds like a snake may have gotten it.

 

[Nupe]

I find eggshell and a little egg matter in the nest boxes every now and then. I believe it was probably an abnormal and/or broken shell. When it breaks, the hens will eat it but I've never had an egg eating issue. Just because they eat the broken ones doesn't mean they know that they can break the others themselves for the same treat. I'm hoping as long as they aren't hungry, they won't put any effort into figuring it out.

 

[tdepointe]

I find eggshell and a little egg matter in the nest boxes every now and then. I believe it was probably an abnormal and/or broken shell. When it breaks, the hens will eat it but I've never had an egg eating issue. Just because they eat the broken ones doesn't mean they know that they can break the others themselves for the same treat. I'm hoping as long as they aren't hungry, they won't put any effort into figuring it out.

I agree, although I have never found the eggshell there and "crunched or ground" . When I have found it in the nest like that most of the shell still their in pieces not what I would call ground.