I found what appeared to be egg white mixed with dirt today and my Speckled Sussex was very busy eating it, the weird thing is that there was no sign of egg yolk or eggshell and I've been checking on them all day. My Speckled Sussex shows all the signs before they lay but I can't wrap my around as to think she's laying and eating her eggs If this is the case, what can I do to stop this behavior? I have a small space and I can't isolate her, I only have one coop...what do I do?
First, don't panic. I've had my chickens eat eggs on several occasions, soft shell, one gets trampled or dropped, etc. But I don't have an egg eater as such, one that always eats her egg, or finds others' to eat. Lucky, I know, but I suspect really not all that unusual, as clumsy as chickens are. Maybe she accidentally broke it. Wait and see what happens in the next few days or a week or so. If you should actually have an incurable egg eater, a rollaway nest box is the only real solution. You can try darkening the nest box (cloth curtain partway down) or mustard in a blown egg or ceramic eggs/golf balls, but they are by no means surefire cures. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=287684
ive had a few persistant egg eaters in the past and know of only 3 ways to deal with them 1. roll away nest boxes 2. sell the hen (but this is hard, nobody wants egg eaters ) 3. in the pot with her. if you leave her out there (if she is a persistant egg eater and it wasnt a one off) she can 'teach' the other hens that an egg is a yummy snack and they'll all be at it in no time, then you have have a whole flock of egg eaters and no eggs!
Thanks for the replies I'll just keep an eye on them for now, I found an egg in perfect condition this morning so I'm not sure now...we'll see
