Hen ate egg

[Lumley Farm]

I looked through the Articles of behavior, but found no answers for my specific problem. My ISA brown (Sally) is now 14 months old. I have gotten rid of her partner that I bought with her as they 'grew up together' because Sally was literally picking on Nina and I thought there was a molt going on. Not so. Sally acts like a Roo. My Astralorpe (about 6months old) got pecked when I was putting them out for a free range by Sally. I can't free range all day, just for a few hours a day cause I am a dog trainer, daycare, and don't want to stress the girls out with other dogs and there are birds of prey over my 10 acres. And in central Florida, we are in a hot zone for weather and their coops are located in shade trees.
Soooo, I know Lorps are on the bottom of the order. Until I got an older Plymouth Rock (integrated her successfully with Jaima the Lorpe) and after Bebe stood up to Sally on the first meet and greet, hierarchy was established. Looked like a Roo fight with the legs going!!!! Fast forward, now Sally has to be alone. I have two separate chain link kennels with coops in them for the three of them. Sally ate an egg today, first time. She had been acting weird and not eating like she used to. Took three days to lay an egg, until I put Jaima's egg under her, and boom, she layed.....I don't know why she would eat the egg. QUESTION: do I wait to see if it happens again? Need to cull her? Thought I could place them together one day, and while I was watching the three girls, Sally pecked at my Astralorpe baby. Not having it, and Bebe didn't intervene. (I have them as 'pets' and eggs layers...can you tell?) I really want a happy family and get two more Astralorpes and or Speckled Sussex......

 

[Aapomp831]

I am confused. So what is the problem? If sally ate an egg after being locked up, it’s either she has a protein deficiency or is acting out bc she doesn’t understand why she’s alone. I have a dominant hen who is a total B**** to the others, but I don’t intervene. There is a natural hierarchy they have to establish and as long as no one is getting seriously injured. So is your question about chicken fighting, or problem egg eaters??

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Squabbles adore normal. No one wants to be the bottom of the pecking order. And egg eating is kinda normal too. Usually it's a bad habit or they need something nutritional wise

 

[Lumley Farm]

I am confused. So what is the problem? If sally ate an egg after being locked up, it’s either she has a protein deficiency or is acting out bc she doesn’t understand why she’s alone. I have a dominant hen who is a total B**** to the others, but I don’t intervene. There is a natural hierarchy they have to establish and as long as no one is getting seriously injured. So is your question about chicken fighting, or problem egg eaters??

Sally is not locked up, she has her own large coop in side a 10X20 chain link dog run, same as the other two. Her original house mate was getting plucked so bad, I gave her to my neighbor. I believe in nature, but intervention is what a human can do when there is suffering. the other hen was not eating either, her breast bone had no meat on it.....My thread was about egg eating. Tried to give enough info because someone always asked for more....What's your confusion?

 

[aart]

Sally ate an egg today, first time. She had been acting weird and not eating like she used to. Took three days to lay an egg, until I put Jaima's egg under her, and boom, she layed.....I don't know why she would eat the egg. QUESTION: do I wait to see if it happens again?

She may just be stressed form the chaos.
Was the egg she ate hard shelled?
Was it her egg or Jaimas egg?
Hopefully there was enough left that you could tell.
Try a fake egg in her nest.

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

 

[Lumley Farm]

She may just be stressed form the chaos.
Was the egg she ate hard shelled?
Was it her egg or Jaimas egg?
Hopefully there was enough left that you could tell.
Try a fake egg in her nest.

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

Well, I can't write a short story here, so basically she has been laying these eggs with wrinkles and are VERY large-a few things on the list from the BYC Article, not Newcastle....but the copper deficiency is something I am correcting with cooked pasta. Its in there. not going for oysters!!! Layer crumbles mostly is fed. the shell was not too thin, but could have broken under her. I'll just keep watching. What a learning curve for me! But I will get some pullets in a few weeks. Not giving up! BTW-she, Sally is alone, and is an ISA brown. Hens bred for egg production can have problems

 

[Lumley Farm]

So a few days later after a few pieces of pasta, (which she gobbled up!), there is a normal shelled egg- the extra large one! Guess this helped her nutritional deficiency!