Laying problem, egg eater or something else?

[homeschoolmama]

A couple of days ago I found what appeared to be egg white in the deep litter (pine shavings) under a roost. Yesterday I found a small amount of egg yolk in a nest box- both times no egg shells to be found. Do you think I have a hen who is having some sort of laying problem-egg w/o a shell or something? Everyone looks fine and healthy. They get Flockraiser, free access to oyster shells, kitchen scraps and free range a couple of hours /day. Nothing could have gotten into the coop besides perhaps rodents but I have seen no evidence at all of those and it has not been a problem in the past- No rats around here and only field mice now and then but never in the coop that I am aware of.
What do you think?
Thanks

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

That really sounds interestin and i'm not really sure how to help you. Best advice i could give is to try to get the chickens in the act if possible. Sometimes eating of the eggs mean they are low on protein or egg shells but it sounds like they are getting enough with the feed and oyster shells. The hen could have a problem and be laying shell-less eggs but the best thing to do is try to find them when they are laying it. You could also check the chickens to see if any of them have egg yoke on there feathers/ beaks to see who is eating it.

 

[homeschoolmama]

So far everyone has looked "egg free" top and bottom. I'm running out to the coop evry 5-10 minutes to check it out-can't do that every day tho- right now there is a major traffice jam of hens piling up to lay....

 

[homeschoolmama]

Bump-anybody?

 

[tammyd57]

Put an egg shaped rock in their nest, and collect real eggs as often as you can.
The rock will teach them that pecking anything in the nest is not a good idea.

 

[homeschoolmama]

Would an egg eater eat up the shells as well? I have not found any trace of those.

 

[tammyd57]

Yes they would eat the shells also.
Mine don't eat their own eggs, but I do save the shells from the ones I eat and dry & crumble them for the hens. It's a good source of calcium for them.