Egg-eating? Internal Laying???

[tweetzone86]

I just went to gather eggs, and for those of you who saw my feather-picking post, I caught two or three of them peck her bare patch right in front of me, so had to put her back in the kennel (I temporarily put her back in with them just because she soaked her bedding in there-I'll pick up hanging water and feeder today).

But on the ground in the run, I saw very watery white poop, and when I went to get the eggs I only found two, and they were EXTREMELY slimy. When I went to wash them (I usually don't til I use them) I realized that there was egg all over them, and one of them had a little piece of much lighter color eggshell on it. I have noticed my egg count decreasing, but I lost two birds in the past three months and figured that might be why. But yeah- only 2 eggs this morning from 10 prolific layers...

Am I dealing with an egg eater, an accident, or an internal laying issue, as well as feather-picking???? I don't get it- they're eating 20% protein Purina Flock Raiser??? So protein can't be the issue???

(Note-I'm moving to the new property on June 11th, so can't modify their current run right now. I AM putting them in a new 12x8 portable hickory shed today as soon as I get the vinyl flooring sheet I bought yesterday stapled down and new bedding put in there. I did notice their last bag of feed that hubby gave them a week ago seems to have a giant chunk of mold in it (he just dumped it into the clear bin feeder, so probably didn't see it at the time but I can see it through the side of the feeder) so bought new feed yesterday but didn't have time to get it swapped out. Are they feather-picking that one bird and eating the eggs because they're refusing to eat their feed?)

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Am I dealing with an egg eater, an accident

Probably a happy accident (weak shell broke) that led to egg eating. It happens sometimes. If it isn't the flock it could be a rat.

Are they feather-picking that one bird and eating the eggs because they're refusing to eat their feed?)

More likely that is coincidental and the pecking is a personal behavioral issue. Lack of protein is blamed on feather picking more often than is reality. According to the research I did, feathers are only about 2% digestible protein... unless it's just supposed to be a reason so they are so mean and not that they are eating the feathers, maybe.

Leave some fake egg when you set up your new nest to help deter any curiosity pecks.

Since all urates pass in the droppings... white and watery is a normal description for some. As long as that isn't all you see for a whole day.

Anyone hiding eggs in the run somewhere? Losing flock members may impact individuals. As well as any night time predator visits. Age usually diminishes laying SOME compared to the first year. Hot weather definitely impacts production as well.

Hope your move goes well!

 

[tweetzone86]

Probably a happy accident (weak shell broke) that led to egg eating. It happens sometimes. If it isn't the flock it could be a rat.


More likely that is coincidental and the pecking is a personal behavioral issue. Lack of protein is blamed on feather picking more often than is reality. According to the research I did, feathers are only about 2% digestible protein... unless it's just supposed to be a reason so they are so mean and not that they are eating the feathers, maybe.

Leave some fake egg when you set up your new nest to help deter any curiosity pecks.

Since all urates pass in the droppings... white and watery is a normal description for some. As long as that isn't all you see for a whole day.

Anyone hiding eggs in the run somewhere? Losing flock members may impact individuals. As well as any night time predator visits. Age usually diminishes laying SOME compared to the first year. Hot weather definitely impacts production as well.

Hope your move goes well!

No there's nowhere secluded in the run to do so. I picked up 4 fake eggs today and we'll see if it helps. They're in their new coop now, which is sitting in my driveway til moving day (we'll take chickens, feeder and waterer, and nest boxes out for the move then put it all back together there).

Weak shell-definitely made sure oyster shell was mixed into new, non-moldy feed well this time (since we feed Flock Raiser due to higher protein than layer, it doesn't have any calcium in it). So hopefully won't have a repeat.

No sign of rats (thank goodness!!!!)

Maybe they don't know the digestible amounts? But I see what you're saying. It seems odd to me that it just started two days ago when they've all been together since they were born. Weird.

So...I picked up some poultry booster (a high protein, high vitamin and mineral feed supplement that they use for show birds-gives them purty feathers) and mixed it only into the feather-loss chicken's feed (and got a hanging feeder and water dish- I think it's technically for goats but it's working to keep her from spilling it- and zip-tied it to her kennel and that kennel is now in the coop proper so hopefully she will stop freaking out about it. I set it next to the nest boxes.

Lord willing, it was an isolated incident (egg) and the feather-picking will quit and her new feathers will come in soon.

 

[aart]

So...I picked up some poultry booster (a high protein, high vitamin and mineral feed supplement that they use for show birds-gives them purty feathers) and mixed it only into the feather-loss chicken's feed

Beware that too much protein can be bad too...
...and nothing will regrow those picked feathers until the bird molts.

 

[tweetzone86]

Beware that too much protein can be bad too...
...and nothing will regrow those picked feathers until the bird molts.

Ok. She's not laying now either, but otherwise still seems healthy. She is eating and drinking. Haven't checked her poops yet but will tomorrow.

 

[deckman22]

I have been wondering if I had an egg eater too. I recently added 6 new pullets to a flock of 9 laying hens after the first pullet laid an egg. The 2 Marans have started laying but the 4 Delawares have not. I'm suspecting one of the Delaware chickens as the culprit but short of sitting in the henhouse all day it's going to be hard to tell. I've found more cracked eggs and less eggs than before I added to pullets to the flock.

That leaves two questions. Is there an easy way to determine the culprit? Is it possible to break the culprit of eating eggs?

I do have some fake glass eggs that I will put in the nest boxes to see if that helps. Other than that I was thinking of putting them (Delawares) back in the chick coop to see what happens possibly waiting til they start laying. I was hoping to avoid doing so tho.

 

[aart]

short of sitting in the henhouse all day it's going to be hard to tell.

Egg eaters always leave a mess in the nests, they can't get it all....soaked slimy bedding will usually tell the tale.

I've found more cracked eggs and less eggs than before I added to pullets to the flock.

Adding new birds always causes some stress, sometimes a lot of stress especially if space is tight. Newly laying birds get rambunctious in the nest arranging the bedding, so that could also be a cause of cracked eggs.

 

[tweetzone86]

Well, my confined bird laid an egg this morning. It's good size and the shell is hard, but it looks a little weird on coloring. Tried to get a picture on my computer camera (regular one is packed) but it didn't turn out very well. Basically, it is brown on one side like it should be, but the other side of it is much paler, with a darker circle about the size of a quarter in the middle of the white part.

Any idea what that could mean?

 

[aart]

Well, my confined bird laid an egg this morning. It's good size and the shell is hard, but it looks a little weird on coloring. Tried to get a picture on my computer camera (regular one is packed) but it didn't turn out very well. Basically, it is brown on one side like it should be, but the other side of it is much paler, with a darker circle about the size of a quarter in the middle of the white part.

Any idea what that could mean?

Just a spray booth glitch.....again, probably stress.

 

[tweetzone86]

Just a spray booth glitch.....again, probably stress.

A little research yielded that it was a white-banded egg.