My hen is eating her egg. Help!

[Liljenny]

Hello! My seven month hen has just started laying eggs about two weeks ago. The first egg was fine, but the rest have been softshell. I'm giving her oyster shell. Today she did something strange. Today she laid another soft shell egg, she She picked it up out of the nesting box into the coop, pecked on it to open it, and started to eat it. I have other hens that are laying eggs. Should I be concerned that she will be eating their eggs too?

 

[SniperGoose]

Oh boy, yeah I think she would go after another hen's eggs too. How do I know? I had the same problem. One hen eating her own eggs turned into all my hens eating eggs Hard habit to break I'm afraid.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Put in some fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting boxes and be sure to collect the eggs often....make sure they have access to oyster shell.
Good luck!

 

[TwistedSteel]

Roll away nest box is sometimes the only way to stop egg eaters. Besides culling.

 

[mymilliefleur]

What feed are you using? You are on the right track with the Oyster shells. Sounds like she needs a little extra calcium in her diet. If the other hens shells are fine, you probably won't have an issue. You can also try increasing her protein to 18% and see if that helps too.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I save the eggshells from all the birds.
I boil them then dry them in the oven. I can crush them to add to the oyster shell dish that way.

No, feeding egg shells back to the flock will not cause them to eat eggs.

Your pullet likely ate the egg because IT was defective, not because SHE is defective.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I save the eggshells from all the birds.
I boil them then dry them in the oven. I can crush them to add to the oyster shell dish that way.

No, feeding egg shells back to the flock will not cause them to eat eggs.

Your pullet likely are the egg because IT was defective, not because SHE is defective.

I agree, Egg eating is a nutritional issue, not a incurable vice.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree, Egg eating is a nutritional issue, not a incurable vice.

It could be a nutritional imbalance.
It can also be triggered if an egg gets cracked when it is laid.

Funny story.....
Many years ago I was out in the yard with my birds. I had a Delaware that was very into being near me at all times.
She was clucking around having a good time, paused, dropped an egg, turned around and pecked it like it did something wrong and went about her way. Just one single peck.