My EE won't stop Pecking her eggs!!

[AmberLeighW]

Hello all!! My husband and I just bought a new house with 4.5 acres in VT, and now I am a proud first time chicken owner! I have 5 buff orpingtons and 1 snowy EE. For the last week or so my EE (Snow White) seems to be pecking the beautiful green egg that she lays everyday. I try to get in the coop to collect them as quickly as I can everyday but sometimes this is not possible since they seem to be on an afternoon laying schedule and I am not always home at that time. My BO's brown eggs never have any cracks, just the green egg does (and as I said before, it looks very much like its cracked due to a peck). Also I feel as though my EE's eggs are a tad more fragile than the others eggs, but they all eat the same exact food. Help, what do I do???

 

[song of joy]

Provide some oyster shell in a separate dish as a calcium supplement. This should increase the strength of the egg shells. This may also safeguard the eggs from breaking if the crack or hole in the egg is due to toe nails rather than pecking.

Also, put some ceramic eggs in the nest. They are hard and may act as a deterrent to pecking since they won't break. If you get white ceramic eggs (see Happy Hens ceramic eggs), you may be able to color them so they have a similar green color (e.g., with food coloring). If there are a half dozen green ceramic eggs in the nest that cannot be broken by pecking she may give up on pecking eggs.

Is she eating the contents of the eggs? If so, increase the protein content of the feed to 18 or 20%.

 

[RodNTN]

Hello there! And

Has she ever eaten one of her own eggs? Egg eaters sometimes eat eggs because they're not getting enough nutrients from their feed. What are you feeding?

You could try roll away nesting boxes if she persists, x2 on the above, place fake eggs in the nests, and she may give up.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hello all!! My husband and I just bought a new house with 4.5 acres in VT, and now I am a proud first time chicken owner! I have 5 buff orpingtons and 1 snowy EE. For the last week or so my EE (Snow White) seems to be pecking the beautiful green egg that she lays everyday. I try to get in the coop to collect them as quickly as I can everyday but sometimes this is not possible since they seem to be on an afternoon laying schedule and I am not always home at that time. My BO's brown eggs never have any cracks, just the green egg does (and as I said before, it looks very much like its cracked due to a peck). Also I feel as though my EE's eggs are a tad more fragile than the others eggs, but they all eat the same exact food. Help, what do I do???

Buy oyster for them.. I have a metal bucket filled they drain it about every 4 months

 

[AmberLeighW]

Provide some oyster shell in a separate dish as a calcium supplement. This should increase the strength of the egg shells. This may also safeguard the eggs from breaking if the crack or hole in the egg is due to toe nails rather than pecking.

Also, put some ceramic eggs in the nest. They are hard and may act as a deterrent to pecking since they won't break. If you get white ceramic eggs (see Happy Hens ceramic eggs), you may be able to color them so they have a similar green color (e.g., with food coloring). If there are a half dozen green ceramic eggs in the nest that cannot be broken by pecking she may give up on pecking eggs.

Is she eating the contents of the eggs? If so, increase the protein content of the feed to 18 or 20%.

Thanks for the advice, I will definitely put some fake eggs in there and see if that helps. I always add additional grit and oyster shells to their pellets (which I keep full and available to them at all times). In answer to your other question...she never eats her eggs, theres only a peck/nail mark in the top of the egg which then create hairline fractures down the egg.

 

[Dayrel]

Grit and oyster shell should be available on the side, not mixed in with feed. They'll eat those supplements as needed. Too much calcium can cause problems just like too little.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC...sorry you are having troubles.

What and how exactly are you feeding?
Protein percentage on feed(read tag sewn into bottom of bag) and other foods 'treats'.

Ditto on grit and oyster shell not being mixed in to feed,
put them in a separate containers.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Where, on the eggs, are the cracks? They may not be from pecking. Also, she is not necessarily the one causing the damage just because the cracks are on her egg

 

[GC-Raptor]

theres only a peck/nail mark in the top of the egg which then create hairline fractures down the egg.

Make sure there is enough straw or hay in nests. Hens stand up when egg is laid. Pointy end of egg hits floor of nest first. If bedding is thin, a hole will will be the result. GC

 

[AmberLeighW]

Make sure there is enough straw or hay in nests. Hens stand up when egg is laid. Pointy end of egg hits floor of nest first. If bedding is thin, a hole will will be the result. GC

I always put a lot (3 inches worth usually) of hay/pine shavings in their coop on the floor and in the nest boxes and they always always dig down to the wood floor before laying.