Is this a problem?

[Nikole]

We had a hawk attack yesterday. I believe only one hen was injured so she’s inside the house mending. Other two are out in the coop/run. So obviously yesterday was very stressful. Today is gorgeous weather so there even more upset being locked up than they would be. They went on a food strike last week due to a food change so I’m not surprised the egg has a thin/weak shell. But I’ve never had a broken one like this other than the first two eggs we ever got that were rubbery and broken. Not only is it broken but the two halves are stacked like you would do while cracking them for eating. Neither girl has any yuck or wetness in their fluffy butt feathers. Both acting normal, nice red coloring, feisty- one even escaped and had to be chased and caught and fought me and got loose again and had to be caught again. She’s the one I think laid the egg because of the dark patch. She usually lays dark eggs with dark spots. So this egg was laid before it was fully colored and thin/weak shell. Appears that most of if not all of the shell is still together. What would you do? Could one of the girls tried eating it? Went in and stepped on it and squashed it? The nest was way full of straw (since the temps were so cold a few weeks ago we stuffed the whole coop full) so very little room. Could a small animal like a rat gone in and done it? Could this be stress from yesterday’s adventure? After I found it I and took pics I pulled out lots of straw to give more room. And I cleaned up their oyster shell dispenser and gave them an extra dish full. Tried to google images to find something similar but didn’t see any.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Looks like someone broke and ate an egg but lots of the yolk is in the bedding so may not be a problem, yet.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Looks like someone broke and ate an egg but lots of the yolk is in the bedding so may not be a problem, yet.

I must second ChickenCanoe. It appears to me that you have an egg sucking varmint. When you drop or breach an eggs shell in the presents of your hens they will usually eat ALL the evidence.

 

[Nikole]

Thanks. Any ideas what would break an egg and stack the shell that way?