Help! Is my chicken pecking eggs

[MissAntonio]

Hi guys.. Found this in the nesting box

today, I'm new to this. Is my chicken pecking her eggs or do I not have enough nest material in the nesting box?

 

[GodofPecking]

probably not a problem. It's not trying to eat the egg. they often do exactly that when they are thin shelled.

Darker nest, shell grit, put your shells from the kitchen washed into a blender and reduce them almost to sand, then give them back in a container out of the way of everything. They'll almost never be seen to eat them, but they need shell and or shell grit available.

The darker nest helps prevent egg eating, which this is not, and artificial eggs, one or two left in the nest also divert the attention of the bad chook.

*Edited by Staff*

 

[MissAntonio]

Thank so much God of pecking, I haven't gave them shell or shell grit so I will do that asap!

 

[aart]

Is the egg thin shelled?
If thin shelled, hole could just be from a toe nail....or could be a peck, but I doubt it.
What exactly, and how, are you feeding?
Oyster shells always available in a separate container is a good idea...I do mix crushed chicken egg shells in too, but they don't contribute as much as the OS

*Edited by Staff*

 

[GodofPecking]

Quote:

Thank so much God of pecking, I haven't gave them shell or shell grit so I will do that asap!

You are most welcome. If anyone else reading this doesn't have shellgrit, wash egg shells very well and crush them ( and maybe even mix them with other food ) so chickens don't know what they are eating. This will give them what they need to make new shells, but not teach them to eat eggs.

You can collect shell grit on the beach, It is just shells of a size that the chooks can eat, that's all. You could crush bigger shells, or just look around till you find where all the wheat-grain sized shells have washed up on the beach. You don't need much because they hardly eat any. A flock of one dozen hens will eat maybe one cup in a year. Two cups will give you plenty.

*Edited by Staff*