Lazy Laying

[AnchoredHomestead]

One of my hen’s laid this morning g at 4:40 am while she was on the roost bar. On the cam it appeared to hit the deep litter and be fine, however about an hour later, as they all woke up to go out the coop into the run, one of the other hens pecked it open and then they all ate the shell. Why would a hen lazy lay like this and what do I do about the community egg eating?

 

[Kiki]

One of my hen’s laid this morning g at 4:40 am while she was on the roost bar. On the cam it appeared to hit the deep litter and be fine, however about an hour later, as they all woke up to go out the coop into the run, one of the other hens pecked it open and then they all ate the shell. Why would a hen lazy lay like this and what do I do about the community egg eating?

Is she a brand new layer?

I wouldn't call your bird's egg eaters just yet.
Laying an egg from a roost bar probably made it crack or break open which is why they ate it.

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

Is she a brand new layer?

I wouldn't call your bird's egg eaters just yet.
Laying an egg from a roost bar probably made it crack or break open which is why they ate it.

She has laid for 2 months. So not old but not brand new. I definitely don’t want this to become a habit so any ideas are appreciated!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Laying off the roost happens on occasion, even with older birds. As long as it's not a regular thing, I wouldn't worry about it. If an egg gets broken the birds will treat it as fair game and eat the contents.

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

Ok…it’s happened again. Same chicken, laying at the wee hours of the morning on the roosting bar. Lets it drop and then they all at the shell. Another yolk mess in pine to clean…. How long until I need to be concerned and how do I fix this behavior?

 

[rosemarythyme]

What are you feeding, and do you have additional calcium available on the side? If so, are the birds eating it (specifically the one that's been laying soft eggs)?

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

What are you feeding, and do you have additional calcium available on the side? If so, are the birds eating it (specifically the one that's been laying soft eggs)?

I have oyster shell available and mix it with treats at times so they all appear to be eating it, including her. They are all fed Nature’s Best Organic layer feed, Scratch and Peck cracked corn and scratch as occasional treats and various grubs/worms. They get ACV in water and we use First Saturday Lime. Otherwise they get treats aka kitchen scrap veggies and fruit, and whatever they free range. They lay regularly and all of the eggs are nice and hard, normal shape, etc. They have 5 nesting boxes to choose from and plenty of roosting space/coop space. We don’t have a light in the coop nor do I want one in there unless that solves this problem?! She should be able to go to a nesting box in the dark right?

 

[rosemarythyme]

There's no need to have a light on at night (most animals sleep best with a period of darkness, just like humans) and what most layers do is hold on to it until the next morning and lay at that point.

She's still a relatively young layer so I wouldn't say it's unusual for her to have some egg quality issues. Have there been any shell remnants at all? Wondering if the eggs are hard shelled, or if she's dropping soft eggs so there's no real shell to speak of (as generally the birds to want to eat the shell over the yolk/whites).

 

[AnchoredHomestead]

There's no need to have a light on at night (most animals sleep best with a period of darkness, just like humans) and what most layers do is hold on to it until the next morning and lay at that point.

She's still a relatively young layer so I wouldn't say it's unusual for her to have some egg quality issues. Have there been any shell remnants at all? Wondering if the eggs are hard shelled, or if she's dropping soft eggs so there's no real shell to speak of (as generally the birds to want to eat the shell over the yolk/whites).

No she’ll remnants, just a yolky mess and a lot of it so unsure if they are eating any of the inside at all. I can hear the egg when it drop on the coop cam onto pine shavings. It appears both times to be off the side of the bar so it’s not hitting anything on the way down other than shavings. And they are all eating the shell as a group I don’t want to make it a big deal but also don’t want to let bad habits start. She has layers once on the coop floor and then one other time 2 months ago she “layed” a shell-less egg. She’s also the one who bullies everyone. It’s our first time raising chickens so I’m out of my knowledge base. I do know she is very healthy and seemingly content as long as no one dares to go near her spot on the bar at night or eats close to her.

 

[SourRoses]

She should be able to go to a nesting box in the dark right?

Nope. Most chickens are completely blind in the dark and won't move for anything.
I say most because there are rare exceptions with individuals who can move around better in the dark. Whether it's from better eyesight or birds smart / brave enough to rely on their other senses I don't know. It's usually roosters.

Hens lay on a 24-26 hour schedule. So, they usually lay later and later each day. As it gets later in the day (light level), hens often skip a day or more for the cycle to start again with laying in the early morning. Some hens don't skip or stop and that's how you get night laying. If you wait a while her schedule should progress into the morning.

In the meanwhile, if she usually roosts in the same spot and depending on your setup, maybe you could put something under her, like a tall lidless plastic tote, to catch the egg and make it harder for the others to get at it. Of course, it will collect poop too, lol.