Missing Eggs

[SueT]

Oh gosh. Well, glad to hear you solved the mystery. Good luck on your project.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Let me know if u need ideas I posted a bunch somewhere else

 

[aart]

Sorry for not updating sooner. Had a very busy day. Left one egg in last night and this morning at 9 it was gone. Not a trace. I reviewed the in coop camera footage. It's kinda crappy since it was in night vision mode but once the girls got up this morning and started moving around they crowded around the nest box and when they had cleared out I couldn't see an egg anymore. I'm really shocked how they eat it without a trace. The other thing that confuses me is how they don't touch the eggs the day they are layed but will eat it the next day. Also, they tried to eat a ceramic egg I left in there and pecked the heck out of it and moved it all over the coop. Chickens are funny creatures. So now...I get to build a roll away nest box. I'm actually pretty excited about it since I love building things.

Ah Bummer........so you've confirmed you have some egg eaters.

First next step is to assess their diet.
What and how exactly are you feeding?
-Read labels sewn into bottom of feed bags for protein levels.
-The lower protein of layer feed (~16%) is often not enough especially if you give other foods.

Is their feed available in the coop 24/7?

 

[88sub4x4]

I feed an organic layer feed with 16% protien. They only get occasional tops of strawberries left over from the kids. Maybe 2x a month. I get organic dried meal worms as winter treats but that is it.
Do you think it's a protien or calcium deficit? I've thrown in some crushed oyster shells but they never ate it.

 

[aart]

I feed an organic layer feed with 16% protien. They only get occasional tops of strawberries left over from the kids. Maybe 2x a month. I get organic dried meal worms as winter treats but that is it.
Do you think it's a protien or calcium deficit? I've thrown in some crushed oyster shells but they never ate it.

Egg eating is usually a protein and/or calcium deficiency...at least it often starts out that way, but it can become just a bad habit.
The layer feed should have enough calcium (3-5%) but having a separate container with oyster shell always available is never a bad idea.

I'd bump up to a higher protein feed, might be hard to find if you're stuck on the organic.
Or start giving them more mealworms everyday at first then a few times a week, they need animal protein too.
Tho you may still need the roll-away nests if it's become an insatiable habit.


I like to feed a flock raiser/grower/finisher 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat. I do grind up the crumbles (in the blender) for the chicks for the first week or so.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer. I adjust the amounts of other feeds to get the protein levels desired with varying situations.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

 

[88sub4x4]

Thanks for the excellent info. I can get starter crumbles with a 22% protein . Would it be OK to mix a 50/50 of layer and starter and put out oyster shells?

 

[aart]

Thanks for the excellent info. I can get starter crumbles with a 22% protein . Would it be OK to mix a 50/50 of layer and starter and put out oyster shells?

Yep, that would get you up to 19% protein.......
....and I'd still up the mealworms, or some other animal protein source,
unless your feed has animal protein(should say in ingredients-most feed don't have it).

Might want to start out with some of the starter feed undiluted, for a boost right away.
Make sure feed is available 24/7....so they have something to eat other than eggs early in the morn.

 

[88sub4x4]

Cool. And yes. Food and water available 24/7

 

[88sub4x4]

Just an update. I switched them over to starter feed and have been feeding 3-4 handfuls of meal worms a day. One of my girls is in a molt now so I'm sure this extra protein will help with that too. I toss in oyster shells but they don't seem too interested in them. Do you usually offer them in a bowl or something or toss it in and let them forage for it? I'm only getting 1 egg a day right now but if I don't collect it promptly they eat it. Going to.try to get the roll away nest box built this week. Just not sure what to use on the bottom of it. I've heard that grass like outdoor carpet works well but not sure of what else to use.

 

[aart]

Just an update. I switched them over to starter feed and have been feeding 3-4 handfuls of meal worms a day. One of my girls is in a molt now so I'm sure this extra protein will help with that too. I toss in oyster shells but they don't seem too interested in them. Do you usually offer them in a bowl or something or toss it in and let them forage for it? I'm only getting 1 egg a day right now but if I don't collect it promptly they eat it. Going to.try to get the roll away nest box built this week. Just not sure what to use on the bottom of it. I've heard that grass like outdoor carpet works well but not sure of what else to use.

I keep oyster shells in a separate container....for pullet not around older birds I sprinkled a dozen or so chunks of shell on top of feed until they get the idea.
They won't be interested in them if they are not laying tho as they don't need the calcium.
Egg eating can start as nutritional deficiency but can become a bad habit that's hard to break.

Never had a roll away nest...but I know they sell a special pad that promotes easy rollout.