HELP - Egg Pecking Behavior

[cookiesdaddy]

We have 4 one year old hens. All have been laying well. Last 2 weeks or so one of them (I don't know which) has been pecking at the egg (see picture). She doesn't eat it entirely, just pecking and then left in the nest like this:

I've been trying to come out early to remove but still missed it sometimes. Then I tried putting several plastic eggs (Easter type). Apparently she pecked those too (I often found them separate in halves), and that helped save a few eggs, but not all.

The feed store recommended giving them oyster shell which I have. No difference. Then they say find the culprit and make soup with her. I'm not ready to do that!

HELP!

 

[55885100]

the reason she is doing this is because she is not gitting enouphe of a sertan vitamen. you need to start feeding them crushed oyster shells to get them to stop

 

[chickflick]

I got a hen from a farmer that said was an egg eater. I got her and there was never a problem, tho. You said you are feeding her oyster shell....for how long? Long enough to make a difference? Put wooden eggs in the nests.... she'll get tired of pecking at them and getting no reward. Make sure they are getting what they need in their diet. Have you ever fed them boiled or scrambled eggs? They love them and won't make the connection that it's egg.... Hope you catch the culprit....and hope she doesn't land up soup! I also feed mine bologna for protien among a lot of other things. I think she is just missing some thing in her diet and is trying to take care of herself.

 

[pattycake]

There are lots of things to try. Give black oil sunflower seed for protein. Darken the nest area so it's harder for them to see the eggs. Let them freerange so they're less bored. Gather the eggs more often. Get a roll-out nest box.

I lose one egg every single day because one stupid chicken lays her egg on TOP of the nest box and it falls three feet to the floor and breaks and then they all eat it. And during the winter they would sometimes eat two or three. But now I give them sunflower seeds every morning, throwing them on the litter so they have to scratch, which keeps them busy for hours, and then I let them out into the yard. Except for the one falling egg, they leave the rest alone.