egg eater

[kasey08]

how do you know when you have an egg eater? my rir hen lays almost everyday and she hasnt layed for about a week

 

[rufus]

She is on vacation. Sometimes they stop laying if it is too hot or they are molting. And then sometimes they hide the eggs. Look for a hidden nest. This is a good chore for small children. Put them to watch an find out where the chicken comes from when she comes out cackling.

Rufus

 

[kasey08]

well she is in a pen so dont think she could hide it and i found an egg shell in the run, today she went in the coop to lay then got done and nothing was there

 

[kasey08]

she laid one today the egg was white(she lays tan) and large....?

 

[Veggie4life55]

She could be egg bound. Is there any other symptoms like... Being all fluffed out. Standing in one place straining or squinting her eyes. Not walking around alot. Laying around in weird places. Staying away from the other chickens.

Our RIR doesn't lay well. Every few days she seems to have a soft shelled egg even though they have access to shell and their food has calcium as well. She has always laid weird. But once in a while she becomes bound and we have to remove the egg. So we normally never see her eggs. Unless she lays it while I am outside. But you can tell when she is having a problem. Sometimes she will lay a normal egg. Its just not very seldom. Although she seems to be doing better lately.

 

[kasey08]

idk she is kinda wild we got her from someone she walks around normal...but if she laid that egg would she still be egg bound?

 

[Veggie4life55]

Sorry it took me so long to reply.

If she normally lays brown eggs then I dont think she would lay a white egg. She just might have been laying on someone elses egg. Chicken eggs can vary in color but as far as i know a brown egg layer cant lay a white egg. so unless you visibaly seen it come out I would guess it came from some one else.

If she isn't egg bound she just might have taken a break from laying. None of our chickens have really ever taken a break though. But they do eat the eggs sometimes. But I really only have one chicken that will actually come up and bust a egg just to eat it. After its busted they will all join in though.

If she doesnt have any other symptoms then she shouldnt be egg bound. If she does have some syptoms she could be an internal layer or egg bound.

have you ever had any soft eggs from her?

If so should could be laying the soft eggs and they could be eating them. Or if they are soft they could bust before they are even laid so that the egg just kinda drains out when she tries to lay.

We have a RIR who lays soft eggs even with from range to calcium. Sometimes she lays a a soft egg sometimes they bust before they come out and they slowly come out while she tries to lay. she has also been egg bound 2 or 3 times. She iis under 18 months. sometimes chickens just do that.

But our chickens almost always eat our RIR's soft eggs. But unless I bust a regular egg most of the time they leave them alone and our chickens are in a big pen too.

I guess it just depends. Maybe she needs a different food. Is she eating enough. If she isn't so will stop laying. Some chickens get used to a particular food and wont eat anything else.


It could be her age. But that should be a more gradual decline not just all of a sudden.

and yes she could still be egg bound if she laid an egg. If she still has part of an old egg inside her. The new egg could have slid by with out pushing a small portion of the old egg out. But if she doesnt have any other signs then I would say she isn't bound. My chicken always fluffs out and walks slow when she is bound.

I know that went a little bit of everywhere just trying to troubleshot a little. Hope it helps.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

As far as egg eaters go...sometimes you find evidence in the form of yellow stains.
I let mine free range and I'm surrounded by hundreds of acres woods without any neighbors to speak of.
Most of the time they stay in my small 80 x 100 fenced in yard which is 85% shady most of the day.
When it gets really hot, or in the hours my backyard is in direct sun they take to the woods.

Anyway...there are usually about 40 running around in the yard.
Yesterday someone laid an egg in the dirt, right in front of the front steps.
A roo walked over and pecked it and it was all over for the egg.
He called hens to come eat, and a dozen came running.
They ate everything including the shell. All that was left was a few yellow stains that dried quickly to invisibility.

Egg production is way down which may be because of molt, the heat, or the fact they are laying them in the yard, and in the woods.
I don't eat eggs....I only want eggs for chicks, and for dog food...with some back to the chickens...so I don't really care.
Usually I let them all out of the coop very early...sometimes shortly after daybreak...but if I want to collect eggs...I keep them locked up until they lay.

I've also seen a hen lay an egg in the nest, get up, and peck a hole in it and start to eat it.
They are very well fed birds, so I know it isnt that.

 

[kasey08]

she is laying eggs now its still a very lighter color i know its her egg b/c she is the only hen in the pen... its like a tan color the same as a silkie egg and it used to be a light-med brown. but at the bottom of the egg its shaped odd and spotted...idk had prolly 6 like this

 

[TiaView]

Do they slow down with laying in the heat? Mine have dropped down in production since we have been having this heat wave.