My hen is breaking her eggs, any advice for me?

[nlkuhner]

Sometimes my gal will put a small dent in her eggs. A little crack, never breaking the membrane. This last week or so she has managed twice to completely smash her own egg, and once she crushed another hen's egg while laying hers. I think my next box is too small? it is 12"x12"x12". She fills it up when she is in there. I have a four bird flock and a double nest box with one on top of the other. The upper nest is only occasionally used by one of the girls. I don't think they are eating the eggs, so that is good, but i am worried they will start to. Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance!

 

[RileyCalanchini]

When this happens to me, I feed them crushed oyster shell. You can practically buy it at any local feed store. It really helps harden the shell on the egg. Another way, (this might sound very wrong), but if you scramble up some eggs and grind the shell of the eggs into the mix and feed it to them, it works quite well. They eat it and get nutrients that their own body makes. Hope this helps.

 

[Kelsie2290]

A bigger nest box will help if it is mostly she is a really big heavy hen and stomping on the eggs. Be sure you have plenty of deep nesting material in there, a good 3-4" of pine shavings / hay or whatever and maybe a piece of rubber mat on the bottom of the box. Can you move the nest boxes so they are side by side rather than on top of each other, fake eggs in both boxes may tempt them to use both boxes.
Also, how is the quality/ thickness of her egg shells, and the rest of the girls', do they seem thin at all? Does she have access to oyster shell and/or is she on a Layer food?

 

[nlkuhner]

Hi Kelsie2290, Thanks for your super thorough response. OK, nesting material: I can fill it to about 3", but it is kicked out pronto. I think the foam mat idea is great. The boxes: I agree i need bigger boxes, and it seems obvious the girls would prefer side by side. Sometimes they lay next to the lower one. I have a wood egg in the upper, but can only entice my easter egger to use it. I will shop for some new nest boxes, as mine are fixed in the up/down configuration. The shells: They are all plenty hard. I give them oyster shell & crushed egg shells. BB (my egg breaker) has hard shells on her eggs. I honestly think she has a hard time laying, like it is difficult for her. It could just be the small box.
Again, thank you so much for your thoughts. I think I have my next steps figured out now.

 

[nlkuhner]

Thanks for replying. I give them crushed eggshell & oyster shells. Their eggs have strong shells. That is what makes it weird.