Got my first egg today but...

[Craxe77]

We have 6 chickens and I collected my first egg this morning. After going out this evening I found the yolk of an egg on the ladder roost, a rung below the chickens. I didn't see the shell and one may have eaten it. Is this ok ?

 

[WiddleChix]

It's normal for hens to have weird, small, and even shell-less eggs when they first start laying so I wouldn't worry about that. As for the others eating the egg it's not bad for their health but they *could* develop a habit of eating their own eggs, that's the reason it isn't advisable to feed chickens raw eggs cuz they like them so much !

 

[Craxe77]

Thanks. I didn't see egg shell and was worried. Hopefully the ladies will have it all sorted out soon.

 

[aart]

It's normal for hens to have weird, small, and even shell-less eggs when they first start laying so I wouldn't worry about that. As for the others eating the egg it's not bad for their health but they *could* develop a habit of eating their own eggs, that's the reason it isn't advisable to feed chickens raw eggs cuz they like them so much !

Not really true.
A broken or thin/soft shelled egg(common with new layers) is fair game to be eaten and will not necessarily create 'egg eaters'....especially if birds are being fed sufficient protein, especially animal protein.

Tho new layers may take an exploratory peck at an egg, if it's hard enough they will get no satisfaction, and leave it alone, even if they dent the egg they may go no further. I've recently had this happen in the coop with one of my pullets way too interested in some older layers weak shelled eggs.

But preventative caution is always best and if at all possible collect eggs frequently when pullets start laying, and use hard solid fake eggs/golf balls in the nest to entice them where to lay and offer inedible things to stymie curiosity pecking in the nests.