Do you ever get broken eggs in the nest box?

[Judy]

Quote:
That's understandable, but I wouldn't get too excited about it. In almost 4 years I haven't had one, and they have certainly broken eggs, sometimes eating them, sometimes not. I've decided there is quite a difference between a chicken that eats a broken egg and an egg-eater. Why some make that transition, I don't know. But I've read quite a few posts from people with experiences similar to mine -- they ate an egg but they didn't become an egg eater.

Maybe we'll both be lucky and never have a true egg eater on our hands.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

I had a hen put her foot through an egg due to thin shell . None of my chickens have shown an interest in eating uncooked eggs. At least some of their dining habits are learned.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I have them frequently. I have two hens in the henyard (where my oldest birds are) that lay weak shells. Beginning of lay cycle, end of cycle, extra oyster shell, using layer feed, feeding egg shells, none of it has worked. They are predisposed to lay weak shells and that's that. I'd cull them in a minute if I could just figure out which two they were. But I have several dozen birds in that flock and I've never managed to determine who they are. Checking frequently enough to narrow it down also disrupts the yard so that they don't lay like they would otherwise.

So I get one or two broken eggs fairly often. And the girls clean them up for the most part. Occasionally I'll have to take some of the hay out that's glued together. They don't eat the other eggs, just the one or two that were so weak they broke from being sat on. Like DDawn says I think there's a difference between a hen that will clean up an egg that breaks and one that deliberately breaks eggs to eat them.

 

[clucker's r us]

okay here we go, I have 4 ladies, 2 RiR 1 amerucana and 1 black something.... 1 of my RiR is laying while the other 3 have not been. Today on the other hand my other RIR had layed and egg, but it was an egg with no shell, just the lining of the inside egg, with a powdery substance which I'm assuming should of been the egg shell.... I through some oyster shells in to the run once I realized this.... If there's anything else I could be doing please let me know!!! Thank You ALL!!!

 

[LauraG]

Thanks for all the input, I feel a little better now.....

cluckers r us- I keep an oyster shell feeder filled at all times so they can grab some if they want it, that should help!