egg eating?

[hcammack]

I went out to check for eggs today after my mom already collected three eggs earlier and I found the nesting material wet and I took it out and it does look like egg whites. are my girls egg eating? they are just starting to lay so could it have been a weird egg with no shell or membrane? I have golf balls in the nest boxes and the other three eggs where fine. Is there liquid that comes out when hens lay? because it could have been that.

Thanks in advance,
Henry

 

[MissPrissy]

If one got cracked in the nest they would eat it. Look at their beaks and faces really well and check for traces of yolk.

 

[hcammack]

Ok thanks Missprissy
I will I checked the favorolles and marans hens already my guess would be it was one of the little girls. I did not find any shell. When your hens started laying did they lay sporadicaly? on sunday I got 5 eggs, monday I got 1 egg, and today I got 3 eggs.

Thanks,
Henry

 

[hcammack]

Well its my two of my delaware pullets I put another egg out there too see if it was accidental or if they are eating the eggs and breaking them on purpose. Is there any easy way to solve this ? Or should I make delaware stew or roast chicken? I am getting some wooden eggs tommarow I guess I will see if it happens tommarow and process them if it does and get two more pullets from someone.

Henry

 

[patandchickens]

It seems quite likely to me that one of the ones just starting to lay popped a 'weird' egg, either shell-less or so thin-shelled that it cracked just from the hen laying it or walking away. And then, seeing a soft squishy breakfast sittin' there, hens ate it.

I had a little bit of that early on, associated with 'auto-breaking' eggs from young pullets, and it never turned into egg eating.

So I would not worry much just yet

Good luck,

Pat

 

[hcammack]

Thanks Pat
I am happy because I was getting ready to make delaware flavored chicken stock

I hope you are right these are the two girls that arn't laying now.

Thanks,
Henry

 

[hcammack]

You should have seen the expresions on there smug little chicken faces with dried yolk all over.

 

[louy51]

It seems quite likely to me that one of the ones just starting to lay popped a 'weird' egg, either shell-less or so thin-shelled that it cracked just from the hen laying it or walking away. And then, seeing a soft squishy breakfast sittin' there, hens ate it.

I had a little bit of that early on, associated with 'auto-breaking' eggs from young pullets, and it never turned into egg eating.

So I would not worry much just yet

Good luck,

Pat

My 6 months Jersey Giants are starting to lay. I have noticed about 4 soft shells off and on in the pen but no eggs. I think they are being eat. How can I fix this?

 

[aart]

My 6 months Jersey Giants are starting to lay. I have noticed about 4 soft shells off and on in the pen but no eggs. I think they are being eat. How can I fix this?

I answered your question here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egg-eating-hen.167367/post-24058403