How can we tell which chicken or chickens are laying, which aren't, which ones are eating their eggs

[reniandkelly]

Hi all. We're new on this post but have had our hens for two years. They've been good layers and never ate their eggs until recently. But we don't know who's doing it.

People on the forum seem to know which of their chickens are doing what - which are laying, which aren't, which are eating their eggs, which aren't. But we have no idea. Short of getting a nanny cam, how do we know who is doing what?

We have 11 hens, 3 nest boxes and they lay up about 6 eggs a day among them. However they have recently startefd eating their eggs.

 

[Judy]

One thing some have done to tell who is laying is put a dab of food coloring on the vent, then try to see the color on an egg. Mostly people have different breeds, and over time know which ones lay which eggs, which usually look a little different. Sooner or later you catch one coming out of the nest or even in the act of laing. If you can't tell the eggs apart, the only other way I know of is to isolate them one by one til they lay.

There are a few things you can try if you have true egg eaters. Usually it doesn't take long for the flock to learn the habit, though, if they are breaking the eggs intentionally, in order to eat them.

Keep in mind that a hen eating an egg is not the same as egg eaters. Any chicken will eat a broken egg.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater