Is this possible? Strange find in the chicken coop today!

[BirdNut]

I went out this morning to let my girls out, and I saw the strangest thing. Right under their roosting pole, there was a broken yolk on the ground with some shattered eggshell on it. Did she lay an egg overnight? After further investigation, I found some of the eggshell was carried away from where the egg was dropped or placed. Perhaps she is eating her eggs? What's going on here?

 

[BirdBrain]

She laid it from the roost, it broke, and voilà, breakfast was served.

 

[bburn]

Okay....same thing happened to me and it really scared me. Thought I had egg eaters on my hands. SOMEONE laid an egg in the corner of the coop. I don't know if she was trying to get in the egg box and did not make it or if she was turned around backwards in it and it feel out. (I do have one that lays with her butt to the outside of the nest) Regardless of how it happened someone found it and I got out there in time to see a hen running across the run carrying an eggshell with everyone in pursuit. I went inside and found the rest of the egg and cleaned it up quickly. They ALL came back looking for it. After that I started going out every morning when I knew they usually laid and gave treats in the run to distract them. I did that for several weeks and never had another egg eaters.

I really think it was an Oops that it was laid on the ground. There has only been one other egg laid on the ground and it was in a dust bath. Mine are new layers this year and I think there was a learning curve.

So, to me, one egg eaten does not make egg eaters.

 

[chickflick]

Your hen laid an egg overnight and the hens all took advantage of it and ate the egg. It happens, especially now that it's getting dark earlier. Their inner clock has to readjust itself.

 

[craftymama86]

I've only had chickens for about 3 weeks but from other posts I've read it sounds like she is eating her eggs.

Ha, I took too long to post.

 

[Mak]

Mine eat the occasional egg that someone will lay from the roosts. It drops to the poop board and breaks, then I think the broken egg leaking attracts at least some of them to eat it. I never have an eaten egg in the nest boxes or coop floor. I've only had one laid in the run so far, and it was completely untouched as well. So I don't think that eating a broken egg necessarily makes an egg eater. I think all that lovely oozing egg is just too tempting!

 

[woodmort]

I will, on occasion break an egg when collecting--usually hitting it on the side of the nest when taking it out--and, when I do I just throw it on the floor to break it up for the birds. Haven't had an egg eating problems so would guess that kind of thing will not cause one. I'd be more worried about them finding a cracked egg in the nest and getting used to eating them there. Who can be sure, however, how much memory a chicken has and how long it lasts?

 

[BirdNut]

Thank you, everyone!

I have not seen any more cracked eggs, so it doesn't look like their egg-eating became a habit. We'll see.