First Egg Countdown

[gwenirish11]

I am thinking it was her but these pictures were from like a month ago. The other ladies are red as well now My Wyandotte laid one today...I am guessing it was my wyandotte or my black star it's more of a light brown so I'm going with Wyandotte. I also have a problem!! to ask you ladies about. I found the 2nd egg on the floor of the coop fully intact and fine but I did see egg yolk on it. So there must have been another. My EE Ginger and my Black Star both had yolk on them....Ginger had more on her. She had it on the beak and head now I am back to wondering if they did eat eggs before...and of course now I Thinking that they will do it again! Do you ladies think I'm doomed? I am sooooo worried right now! Is this a normal thing when they first start hatching?I had a friend say when an egg cracks his chickens will eat it but it's not a normal thing. Oh and up to this point there has been no evidence it's happened before..no yolk no shell nothing..just today.

Oh and below is a picture of the egg from today..

 

[off-grid hen]

If the shell was thin or broken when it was laid, it's natural for a hen to clean up the nest to prevent contamination. It's an instinct. It doesn't necessarily mean that they will be egg eaters. Make sure they have oyster shell if they need it, and decent feed. when mine were all eating Broken eggs this spring, I upped their oyster shell (sprinkled it on the ground in the run) and gave them cottage cheese or yogurt a few times, and they were right back on track. Also, new layers can have wonky egg shells until their systems are used to regular laying. Congrats on the egg.

 

[gwenirish11]

Thank you so much!! I was so horrified! I am working home today but have piratically lived in the coop to catch them in the act. I placed a duck egg in the nest and they have pecked at it here and there but haven't destroyed it. I am hoping this was just a one time deal I will put some more oyster shell in and some cottage cheese thank you!!! You don't know how much it helps to hear someone kinda say its gonna be OK..

I had checked on here like three times to see if anyone had any feed back..lol

Quote:

 

[Crafty-Duck]

If the shell was thin or broken when it was laid, it's natural for a hen to clean up the nest to prevent contamination. It's an instinct. It doesn't necessarily mean that they will be egg eaters. Make sure they have oyster shell if they need it, and decent feed. when mine were all eating Broken eggs this spring, I upped their oyster shell (sprinkled it on the ground in the run) and gave them cottage cheese or yogurt a few times, and they were right back on track. Also, new layers can have wonky egg shells until their systems are used to regular laying. Congrats on the egg.

X2 mine have eaten thin shelled eggs before (many times) and they have never eaten good eggs.

 

[gwenirish11]

Quote: Oh good!! Being that they just started I am going to write it off as that!

 

[Crafty-Duck]

If you do have egg eaters though you can always try the mustard egg trick.

 

[gwenirish11]

I thought about doing that for precaution! So you take a pin and blow out the inside? Is it difficult? could I use a plastic easter egg?

 

[Crafty-Duck]

I don't know about a plastic egg???

I have blown eggs out before and it isn't difficult if the hole that the yolk is coming out of is a little larger then the one you are blowing on, getting the mustard in the egg may be a challenge! I have never tried to do it before but you may be able to use one of the squirt bottle mustard's and just squirt it in.

 

[Happy Chooks]

If the shell was thin or broken when it was laid, it's natural for a hen to clean up the nest to prevent contamination. It's an instinct. It doesn't necessarily mean that they will be egg eaters. Make sure they have oyster shell if they need it, and decent feed. when mine were all eating Broken eggs this spring, I upped their oyster shell (sprinkled it on the ground in the run) and gave them cottage cheese or yogurt a few times, and they were right back on track. Also, new layers can have wonky egg shells until their systems are used to regular laying. Congrats on the egg.

Off-grid is correct. I have had eggs broken on occasion and have never had an egg eater. Now if I find a broken one that hasn't been consumed, I do pick it up and get it to the trash quickly- I'm certainly not going to encourage it!

 

[off-grid hen]

When you say you have a duck egg in there, is it an actual duck egg? I'm not familiar with that term. I have a couple golf balls in the nest boxes. I had a few used ones lying around.