Ok, here's my deal... I have 8 pullets, two of whom I are for sure laying. The leghorn didn't give us any trouble when she started. We just had cute little white eggs - no problem!
Then another started, and we think it's an EE, but not sure... After about 2 weeks, there started to be little cracks in her egg shells that COULD have been from her pecking them, although I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, and after all, I check for eggs several times a day, so I should be there pretty quickly, right?
We haven't had near as many eggs recently, and I figured, "could be cyclical, could be eating, could be..." But, I got a little worried about that, and that they might get mad that I was taking the eggs (sure, laugh at the noob) so yesterday I put a fake egg in the nest box to help the situation.
BOY WAS I SURPRISED to see this morning, for the first time, my flock running around chasing one girl with half an egg in her mouth! It was a leghorn egg, carried by the Australorp, but they were all in on it. The little pinky-brown egg was still safe and sound (and freshly laid, it appeared) in the box.
GAAAAAAAA!!! So, I'm miffed.
Did I screw up by putting the fake egg in? Has this been happening for a while and I finally caught them? I read the other threads and I'll be starting research about the "roll away" nest box, but we're literally a little backyard operation in the middle of the city - not fancy! Our girls sleep in a converted doghouse.
I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Then another started, and we think it's an EE, but not sure... After about 2 weeks, there started to be little cracks in her egg shells that COULD have been from her pecking them, although I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, and after all, I check for eggs several times a day, so I should be there pretty quickly, right?
We haven't had near as many eggs recently, and I figured, "could be cyclical, could be eating, could be..." But, I got a little worried about that, and that they might get mad that I was taking the eggs (sure, laugh at the noob) so yesterday I put a fake egg in the nest box to help the situation.
BOY WAS I SURPRISED to see this morning, for the first time, my flock running around chasing one girl with half an egg in her mouth! It was a leghorn egg, carried by the Australorp, but they were all in on it. The little pinky-brown egg was still safe and sound (and freshly laid, it appeared) in the box.
GAAAAAAAA!!! So, I'm miffed.
Did I screw up by putting the fake egg in? Has this been happening for a while and I finally caught them? I read the other threads and I'll be starting research about the "roll away" nest box, but we're literally a little backyard operation in the middle of the city - not fancy! Our girls sleep in a converted doghouse.
I'd appreciate your thoughts.