Help says Goldilocks...someone`s been eating my eggs

[Mrs. Feathers]

Hi. I am hoping someone has a sugggestion for me.
The last two times we have gone to collect eggs there has been a half eaten one and today two others had peck holes!!!
We have oyster shell available to our gals at all times and they have a healthy varied diet (although not so much greens now it is winter) their shells are nice and hard.
Suggestions for stopping this are much appreciated.

 

[MTopPA_18707]

I've not tried this and am not sure how well it would work but, . . . I heard of a nesting box where the floor was tilted and covered with astro-turf.

Once the eggs were laid they rolled out of the chickens reach.

Also, I know you said you provide ostershells - but do you also feed the birds old eggshells ?

Feeding eggshells can teach them to eat their own eggs.


Best of Luck,

Xriva

 

[Highlander]

This is the link to the instructions for building roll out nest boxes https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=287684

I don't believe that feeding eggshells causes hens to eat their own eggs but the behaviour is learned and spreads quickly so you will want to nip it in the bud. Good luck.

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

No we do not feed them eggshells. I don`t even give my gals cooked eggs ....because I was afraid of them developing a taste

It fortunately seems to have stopped. One of our youngest pullets laid her first egg (quite soft shelled) yesterday. I am thinking/hoping she may have been craving the extra calcium.
We have the roll out next box construction in line just in case. Thanks for the link! We can probably adapt ours quite easily to a similar design as we built it as a pop out on the coop.
Crossing my fingers it won`t be necessary though...don`t want any distractors from the delayed kitchen renos right now

 

[BeccaB00]

Your hens may have accidently stepped on an egg, broke it, and now

has the extremely annoying habit of eating the eggs.

 

[Judy]

Occasionally I have found a half eaten egg. A few times I've seen a hen break an egg out of pure clumsiness. So far I don't have any egg eaters as such, that is, any that will purposefully break them to eat them. I've read of others on a few other threads who have had experiences similar to mine.

I've been lucky enough to watch as a broody hatched some of her chicks. She always ate the shell.

Just wanted to reassure you that a broken/eaten egg does not necessarily mean you have an egg eater on your hands.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

do squirrels take eggs? My two EE pullets have been layingfor about 6 weeks. They'll lay two or three days ina row, skip an day, then lay again. Bossy runs for the spot in the morning, and then NO EGG later in the day. She acts like shey's laying... clucking and settling in. I have seen a squirrel up in the rafters, though. I have seen no signs of rats or anything else. But I think something is taking them. The other pullet Pook lays blue eggs later in the day, and usually I find hers. Any ideas?

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

Quote:
Hmmm...don`t know about squirrels. The ones around my place are so well fed stealing the suet we put out for the birds that they probably wouldn`t go through the effort to steal eggs