Egg-eating and bad timing

[Skwishface]

Hey y'all ... if my questions are already answered elsewhere on this forum, please just toss me a link to that spot and pat me on the head.

Seems I made a rather naive assumption about hens, and I assumed they would only lay eggs to be gathered in the morning-time. Alas, no! I have a hen who insists on laying in the early afternoon. This is fine on weekends, but has become a problem during the week as I work full-time and can't be there, ready to catch the egg as soon as it leaves her feathered fanny. Is there any way to get the silly girl to lay on a schedule that is convenient to my needs? (she asked, tongue firmly in cheek)

This afternoon laying has led to an egg being left in the nest for a couple of hours. This apparently makes eggs delicious. I came home to find the egg in the nest, broken open and the yolk disappeared, presumably into a chicken belly. With a flock of four and none of them willing to tattle, I've got no way of knowing which bird is an egg-eater. Since they copy each other in all things, I'm worried that I may now have four egg-eaters. This doesn't seem to bode well for the egg productivity of my little backyard flock.

I cleaned up the crime scene, removed the bedding an sprinkled some DE over the wet spot left by the yolk, then put in new bedding. Is there anything else to be done to prevent this from happening again? I suspect the first answer will be "gather your eggs more promptly", but my work schedule and I are hoping for more options.

Thanks y'all!

 

[ChicKat]

Hi skwishface,

love your avatar...it is a really cute chick picture.

There are several things that can help you out. One is called something like a roll-away-nest. It is designed so that once the chicken has laid her egg....it will roll to a place protected from the reach of her or any other hen using the nesting box.

Here is an example:
http://www.poultryequipment.ie/?page_id=163

there is also a device that is meant to prevent a chicken from pecking other chickens....but I have heard that it will also prevent them from being able to break into eggs:

Here's a post I did on it awhile back. ---
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/673137/device-to-stop-pecking

I did a search on BYC forum for roll away nest box...but I think tonight the search is malfunctioning. You may want to try it in the search line at the top of the page...or do a google or bing search on it. :O)