Egg Eating and Pecking

[Kacey Elle]

I have a small flock of four hens that I have had at my house for a month. Before that, these chickens were under my care at a high school farm where I work. They all know each other and never had any behavior issues before. They are all a year old.

That being said, now that they are at my house I'm seeing strange behavior between two of my girls. My Delaware (2nd highest hen) and my Red Star (3rd highest hen) have, I suspect, been acting this way for about two weeks although I could only confirm it today. I've noticed that my Red Star seemed to not be laying eggs. Then I saw the Delaware with suspicious yellow patches on her white feathers and found some egg shells in the deep litter. So I have an egg eater. Okay. But the weird thing is that it is ONLY the Red Star's egg that is eaten, even though they all lay in the same place. Today, I saw the RS about to lay so I watched to see what would happen. As she was about to lay the egg, the Delaware went over and started pecking her on the head--hard. I stopped the Delaware and within 30 seconds, the RS laid her egg. About five seconds after laying, the RS pecked through HER OWN EGG and started eating it. The Delaware ran over, shouldered her aside, and finished the job.

So what's that all about???

 

[Kiki]

Maybe her eggs are cracking when they are laid?
This shelled?

 

[Kacey Elle]

Nope. It was a perfect egg when she laid it and then she just whipped her head around and pecked a hole in it....

 

[aart]

Egg shell was good and thick?
Thinner shells that are easily broken are usually the most common target of egg eaters, an opportunity like that can lead to intentional and aggressive egg eating.

What all and how exactly are you feeding?
Do they have plenty of space, crowding stress can lead to bad behaviors.
Egg eating is often due to a lack of nutrition....most usually low protein in general and animal protein in particular.

Gathering eggs frequently and replacing them with hard plastic or ceramic fake eggs can really help break the habit.

 

[Kacey Elle]

Shell seemed normal.

They eat 16% organic layer feed and have free choice oyster shells. They have an auto bucket feeder with two PVC openings and I give them fermented feed as a "treat" since I am still figuring that out. Other treats include purple tree collards, strawberry tops, and BSFL.

I will eventually have my city's max of 6 hens so my four girls have 24/7 access to a run of 15x5 and a 4x5 coop. I usually let them out into another blocked off area that connects to the run and adds probably another 60 square feet for at least a few hours each day.

I am a teacher on summer break and I have been wandering out to get eggs and talk to the girls about six times a day.

 

[aart]

Diet and space seem pretty good...tho I wouldn't add more birds.
Could be stress from the move.
Did they have the same amount of space and diet before you moved them?