I think I have a cannibalistic chicken.....

[csummer8882]

My girls are new to laying...in fact, I only have 2 laying out of 6. Went down this morning and 2 are in the nest boxes sqwaking loudly. So I wait. One finally lays a torpedo egg (LOL) and stays in there for a few minutes. In walks one of my golden comets and goes underneath my NHR that just laid. Sqwaking even louder now. What do I hear? PECKING at the egg! AH! So I opened the nest box door and shooed her out. I get pecked terribly in the process but the golden comet gets out of the nest box. Whats next? The one that LAID it starts pecking at it! UGH! Really?! So I shoo her out, get pecked again, I peck her back and she leaves the nest box and I take the egg. Now what everyone?! Please help!

 

[chicmom]

Did they break the egg? I would imagine they might look at the egg and sort of inspect the egg, maybe pecking a bit without breaking.....One thing is to make the nest area very dim or shaded. You can put a curtain up in front of the nest box. That might help deter the pecking.

Also, put some golf balls in there. They will peck them, and nothing happens, so they lose interest in eggs alltogether.

 

[csummer8882]

I have ceramic eggs in each nest box but I don't have curtains there. I guess that will be my next step. Thanks!