Eggs broken open in the coop, no dead chickens, no missing shells, what the???

[BamburghFarms]

Went out to collect eggs today and all the eggs that aren’t under a broody hen were cracked open, shells still there, no hurt chickens... what the??? Did a predator do this?? If so what would it be?? We have a livestock guardian dog, four roosters, two broodys in the coop round the clock and there was no “disturbance” out there today, I have been home all day! It happened in broad daylight as well!! I don’t get it!!! HELP!!!!

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Probably something like a snake or the chickens eating their own eggs. What did the egg shells look like when you saw them? All together and mushed into a log like shape? Or just shattered everywhere?

 

[ChickNanny13]

Did you get pictures?

 

[BamburghFarms]

Did you get pictures?

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Yeah, this looks like it could be chickens eating eggs. Once they get a taste for it, it can be difficult to stop

 

[BamburghFarms]

But why would they do it? They never have before? We have oyster shells out for them. And all of the eggs?? There were broken ones in every box and on the coop floor too.

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Once a chicken gets a taste for an egg, they can break every single egg they find. We had one girl who would chase us down when we held an egg because she thought we’d give it to her as a treat.

It could be that one accidentally broke an egg, tasted it, went “Yum” and then broke all the others to eat them too, or it could have even been more than one hen.

 

[sealer39]

Can Blue Jays or crows get to the nest boxes? Rats maybe?

 

[WthrLady]

Sometimes one cracks open when they lay it on another egg. Once they're open, chickens go for it. Then they'll peck another and another.

Sometimes, they are just egg breakers by accident. Sometimes, they'll get a taste for it and keep doing it. Sometimes it's a protein or water deficiency.

Agree chicken did it.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Chickens don't know what eggs are, they don't understand what they're doing. They sit on eggs because of instinct, not because they know there are babies inside. As such, they will happily eat eggs, if they figure out that eggs have food inside.