Eggs with a little hole

[oldwynooche]

Friend recently finding eggs with one little hole in them. Feeding layer crumbles, scratch and occasionally meal worms, plus flock is free ranging. Weather not cold or hot. Four laying places, happening in all of them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Picture would help maybe. Holes in eggs can be from pecking or toenails, or even predators like rats.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Yes, see if your friend can get a picture or two of the eggs next time she finds them. Hopefully it's toenails causing it...

 

[aart]

Pictures would help are essential...also more info,
like how old are birds and where do they live and how much scratch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Friend recently finding eggs with one little hole in them. Four laying places, happening in all of them.

That's really unusual, just one little hole in an egg. Is the egg material still inside? Is it all the eggs in that nest? How consistent is it? How far apart are those four nests? Are the nests all in one coop or are they really scattered.

Do you know how thin or thick the shells are? Hens walk on the eggs when getting on or off the nest. If they are thin-shelled it's possible for a claw to punch a hole. It's a testament to how strong most shells are that this doesn't happen that much. But four different nests so at least four different hens laying thin shelled eggs? It would be interesting to know if thin shells are a consistent event.

If a nail or screw is sticking out inside a nest it is possible a hole could be knocked in an egg when it is laid. The hen actually stands when she lays the egg so it drops a bit. Not all that far but maybe enough. But in four different nests? Nope.

It's hard to imagine anything doing that without eating the egg. It's also hard to imagine anything eating an egg through one small hole. To me it is a mystery. Photos of an egg and maybe some more info could help, but right now I'm stumped.