egg being crushed

jackcooper

In the Brooder
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Hi I have 2 hens and they are laying fine but when one egg has been layed the other hen will sit on it and lay her egg but at the same time crush it. I am feeding them oyster shell and they are getting enough calcium. What should I do?
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What kind of hens do you have? Some of the bigger heavier breeds can have this problem. Are you sure it's a "crush" and not a matter of the bird(s) cracking the egg to eat it and then the remaining shell being crushed once the integrity of the shell is broken? I mean, if you are out there to see the first bird lay, leave and the second bird enter the nest and crush the egg I'd just prevent it by collecting the egg - which I assume you aren't out there at just the right moment each day and that is why I ask if you are sure it is being crushed vs. other things happening to it.
You can set the nest box up to have a slight tilt and a "safety box" where the eggs will roll to the safe area rather than remaining in the main area where the hens bodies are
 
It is definitely crushed because when you go to get them they look ok but you lift it up and the bottom is cracked. I have a buff orpington who lays rhe eggs and a cream legbar who cruses it
 
I have one....or two...hens that consistently lay thin shelled eggs, they break easily.
Thin shelled eggs can be a nutritional problem...or a genetic problem...or an age problem.

Is there plenty of bedding in the nests? That might help.
 
I just had this happen to me last week (first time since they started laying 6 months ago that I've lost an egg). I had one completely smashed egg, didn't appear to be eaten at all. I put a couple of the fake eggs from cracker barrel back in the nest boxes hoping any weight would shift to those instead of the real eggs. So far it seems to be working, but I do think the one time it happened was a freak occurrence.
 

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