First egg eaten by flock.

[littleandlewis]

We have a flock of 5 Austrolorps.
As I am talking on the phone I look out the window at our chicken coop. I see one of the hens running around with an egg it it's beak. The hens are young and this was our FIRST egg as far as I know.
Did I just create a flock of egg eatesr because I wasn't fast enough to get out there and remove it?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It was probably laid on the ground and most ground eggs get eaten. Make sure you keep up their protein in their food, don't switch to layer too soon or even not at all as it has a lower protein content and your girls are still growing. Keep a separate bowl of oyster shells out free choice and put ceramic eggs or golf balls in the nestboxes to show them where to lay and to deter egg eating because they can't break them and will not try to after a few attempt. Also make sure hens can't see into the nest easily, that's why they are best raised off the ground 2-4 feet.

 

[junebuggena]

Some dummy eggs left in the nest boxes may help to satisfy curious beaks. Also, eggs that get broken, for whatever reason, or shell-less eggs are fair game and do not lead to egg eating. Make sure they are still getting a high protein feed, and have crushed oyster shell available.