How do YOU catch the egg eater?!

[SecondChanceRanch]

I am finding this every morning. I am collecting earlier and earlier. They are in the coop thought the night. In the early a.m. I let them out, collect eggs, and then feed. They are out all day.

I feed morning and early evening. I provide oyster shells as well. The egg shells are pretty darn thick. I never have eggs past 10 a.m. I usually collect between 7-8 a.m.

Very frustrating. Used to be once they were outside they would lay and then not break them. Since the time changed so did their behavior.

They eat the yolk and never the shells.
They have access to water in and out of the coop at all times.

 

[RWise]

Your girls would eat the shell too,,, well most would,,
Gather the eggs at dusk, lock the coop and be happy. Leaving them in the nest at nightonly draws predators.
And find whats getting in, not a snake, maybe a rat,,,,

 

[aart]

I am finding this every morning. I am collecting earlier and earlier. They are in the coop thought the night. In the early a.m. I let them out, collect eggs, and then feed. They are out all day.

I feed morning and early evening. I provide oyster shells as well. The egg shells are pretty darn thick. I never have eggs past 10 a.m. I usually collect between 7-8 a.m.

Very frustrating. Used to be once they were outside they would lay and then not break them. Since the time changed so did their behavior.

They eat the yolk and never the shells.
They have access to water in and out of the coop at all times.

Just to make sure I fully understand.
Are the nests in the coop, which is locked up tight at night?
Are you collecting eggs at night when you lock up (at what time),
or leaving eggs in nests all night??
And you're finding these broken eggs between 7-8am and 10am?
Do you have a secure run or are the birds free ranged and thus the coop and nests are 'open to the world'?

Wonders why you are feeding morning and night.
Do they have feed available every hour they are awake?

 

[HenniesInMyHeart]

Look for yolk on their face! You can usually find the culprit. All the other suggestions are great, too. Good luck, egg eaters suck!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Snakes that eat eggs have an adaptation in the back of their throat that breaks or pierces eggs spilling the contents, once the yoke is swallowed then the crushed shell is regurgitated.

 

[Kruchti]

Roll away nest boxes are really nice!

 

[sawilliams]

Read through the comments

Please correct me on these pionts if I am wrong.

1 all eggs from the day before were colleted the only eggs in the nest where eather layed after lockup or in the morning

2 they only eat egg while locked up in the coop

3 you feed timed rations starting when you let then out of the coop in the morning. They do not have feed availible over night

So if these pionts are correct. Here are my suggestions.

Free feed, having enough in the feeder that there is always some availible at all times. I suspect they are looking for any source of food.
Or if you want to continue ration feed you need to wake up with or before them possibly as early as 5 am depending on your area, no later then first light. Trying to get out to the coop as the first one gets off the roosts to open the coop and provide feed, if you can't do this you need to free feed or use an automatic door. With this method you may also need to evaluate the amount you are feeding. If even 1 hen is over eating the rest may be going to bed hungry meaning they will bed food sooner.

You could also try a higher protien fed like a flock raiser or starter feed to supplement the protien needs while you slove the egg eating

Roll away boxes are a great idea but good flock management should prevent the need. In confined spaces egg eating is a treat almost a game to hens once one startes everyone will want to she what she has. And sort of like fighting over a bug the first may opt to open a second egg rather then fight to keep the first.

The thing that gets me since they aren't doing it in the afternoon it's becuase a) they are full and aren't looking for food or b) distracted and not stressed, which by the way nay also indicate a space issue with your coop size.

 

[SecondChanceRanch]

Read through the comments

Please correct me on these pionts if I am wrong.

1 all eggs from the day before were colleted the only eggs in the nest where eather layed after lockup or in the morning

2 they only eat egg while locked up in the coop

3 you feed timed rations starting when you let then out of the coop in the morning. They do not have feed availible over night

So if these pionts are correct. Here are my suggestions.

Free feed, having enough in the feeder that there is always some availible at all times. I suspect they are looking for any source of food.
Or if you want to continue ration feed you need to wake up with or before them possibly as early as 5 am depending on your area, no later then first light. Trying to get out to the coop as the first one gets off the roosts to open the coop and provide feed, if you can't do this you need to free feed or use an automatic door. With this method you may also need to evaluate the amount you are feeding. If even 1 hen is over eating the rest may be going to bed hungry meaning they will bed food sooner.

You could also try a higher protien fed like a flock raiser or starter feed to supplement the protien needs while you slove the egg eating

Roll away boxes are a great idea but good flock management should prevent the need. In confined spaces egg eating is a treat almost a game to hens once one startes everyone will want to she what she has. And sort of like fighting over a bug the first may opt to open a second egg rather then fight to keep the first.

The thing that gets me since they aren't doing it in the afternoon it's becuase a) they are full and aren't looking for food or b) distracted and not stressed, which by the way nay also indicate a space issue with your coop size.

You are correct on all of this. I was originally told only to feed once a day and to not leave food out for pest purposes. So I feed until they stop in the a.m., they range for the day in an outside run, and then I have been feeding them again before dusk.

The last 2 nights I have left the coop WIDE open over night. I was worried about predators, but I was also curious. Both yesterday and I today I collected all eggs, uncrushed.

With the EXCEPTION that at some point this afternoon someone laid an egg and someone decided to smash it.

Very confusing. I have been repeatedly told not to feed in the coop and not to let food sit out as to draw little pests.

In the meantime I am going to work on roll aways. But, don't want anyone not having their needs met either.

 

[sawilliams]

You are correct on all of this. I was originally told only to feed once a day and to not leave food out for pest purposes. So I feed until they stop in the a.m., they range for the day in an outside run, and then I have been feeding them again before dusk.

The last 2 nights I have left the coop WIDE open over night. I was worried about predators, but I was also curious. Both yesterday and I today I collected all eggs, uncrushed.

With the EXCEPTION that at some point this afternoon someone laid an egg and someone decided to smash it.

Very confusing. I have been repeatedly told not to feed in the coop and not to let food sit out as to draw little pests.

In the meantime I am going to work on roll aways. But, don't want anyone not having their needs met either.

Well hey you've slove at least 90% of three issue right there now you work out a better solution that works for you and them.
Yes it can be confusing, and i will admit I think i go through more feed leaving it out then if I didn't. But unless you can feed at first light they have to have food availible. Everyone's area and preferences are different. There are risks either way. Do you have a secure run? If its secure you could possibly leave the coop open with less fear of predators. And as for the food it doesn't have to be totally full just enough they can eat in the morning as soon as they get up and you can top it off as needed during the day to keep the extra limited. You'll get the hang of how much they need quickly. Just make sure there is enough at night that they have some it in the morning.

I do believe with th at information that the egg eating is hunger and stress, though you may need to watch still to see if anyone makes a habit out of it. Compare your coop size, remember suggested is 4sq ft per bird, with them confined in the early hours you need to make sure you have at least that much space each or more. As for feeding in the coop, personal preference. I fed in the coop during the winter becuase of rain, I don't have a dry area in the run for food, but in the summer i usually feed outside as I don't have to clean up. Three are things you can do to discourage pests though, a hanging feeder is one idea solid floors instead of dirt floors is another. I insisted on my coop (walk in style) being at least 12in off the ground so the chickens can go under which helps prevent mouse burrows and nests, provides extra shade and space, and reduces ground access until the coop. Unlike my prior dirt floor coop, the wood floor is easier to clean as needed.

What ever you do you have to find what works best for you. Sometimes simple solutions are the best ones.

Add for the one that was crushed today that egg could be from the egg eater or could be an unfortunate accident only time can tell