Egg Eater

[Kali-Peep]

Something is getting my peahen's eggs. She has lost two of four. Could she be doing it herself?

 

[MinxFox]

Not sure but I have had predators get eggs before. Usually all you will find is just the shell or nothing.

I don't have experience with peahens eating their own eggs, but I would say you could set up a trail camera if you have one or could borrow one from a friend and put out an egg in front of the camera and see who is the culprit.

Is she getting calcium?

 

[DylansMom]

Something is getting my peahen's eggs. She has lost two of four. Could she be doing it herself?

Could be your hen. I had one hen do this with every egg she laid one year. She had gone broody several years in a row and hatched her own chicks, then one year she laid a clutch of 6 or 7 and sat nicely for about a week, then I noticed egg shell beside her one morning. Over the following week she ate every egg one at a time until they were gone. Then she acted terrible honking and distressed, I felt bad and gave her the benefit of the doubt, I put in 3 eggs from anther pen. She promptly ate those as well. No more eggs for her that year, she never did it again, and she did have plenty of oyster shell available.

 

[Kali-Peep]

Yes, she has free access to oyster shells. Not sure what is going on...

 

[zazouse]

What are you feeding your hens? could also be a protein issue.

 

[zazouse]

I would also like to mention that on 2 occasions last year i witnessed 2 different peahens removing eggs from their nest and dropping what was left off the platform they were sitting on , i have also seen my Muscovy ducks do this many times with dud eggs.

Do you all know if these eggs were bad that you found like this?

 

[DylansMom]

I would also like to mention that on 2 occasions last year i witnessed 2 different peahens removing eggs from their nest and dropping what was left off the platform they were sitting on , i have also seen my Muscovy ducks do this many times with dud eggs.

Do you all know if these eggs were bad that you found like this?

I can't speak for the first ones, but when my hen broke her last one I actually found the remains of a chick probably 2-2 1/2 weeks along in development. I called her Hannibal for quite a while until she finally redeemed herself the following year.

 

[casportpony]

Quote:

, but glad she quit doing it.

-Kathy

 

[Kali-Peep]

I feed them a 22% protein game bird feed, cracked corn, dry cat food, and sunflower seeds. They also get walnuts and berries as treats, plus lots of grass and whatever else they find in their run... Am I missing something nutritionally?

 

[Kali-Peep]

And the eggs are just a few hours old, so they can't be bad. Do males ever eat eggs?