I think I have an egg eater?

[boersmamrs]

The other morning I opened the coop door and found a smashed egg. One of my hens was studying it but the yolk and the membrane were still intact. It looked like someone had pushed it out of the nest and it got trampled. This morning I was cleaning out the coop sifting through the pine shavings and I noticed that the shavings had like a yellow mucus on them. Then I found a tiny piece of egg shell. None of the girls have any evidence of yolk or anything on their faces... although one of my hens beaks looked a little sticky but no color on it or on her feathers? What should I do?

 

[BorneHomestead]

Do you give them crushed oyster shells? Also put fake eggs or even golf balls in the nesting boxes to deter egg eaters. It sounds like someone isn't laying a hard shell and it's breaking upon being laid. I wouldn't suspect and egg eater as you wouldn't find any sign of egg remnants.

 

[boersmamrs]

There are golf balls and crushed oyster shell. I was thinking that someone might be laying shell-less eggs. Any advice how to erradicate that problem. They are on layer feed, optional oyster shell, fresh water, occasional scrambled eggs amd tuna.

 

[islandgirl82]

It's common for them to lay soft shelled or shell-less eggs when they first start laying and it's not unusual for them to eat these first eggs. That does NOT make them egg eaters though. They will usually stop once the eggs have complete, hard shells. Artificial eggs are a great training tool to encourage them to use the nests so your not finding them all over and ending up broken from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[boersmamrs]

Two of my girls have not started laying yet, or maybe they have but the eggs have been shell-less so i am not finding anything but te evidence of their existence.... Guess ill just have to keep watching