We have a small flock (4 hens) that we keep on about a 1/4 acre pasture/woods that is just theirs. Our speckled sussex is about 7 months old and had been consistently laying about 5-6 eggs a week since about 5 months or so.
Lately, her behavior is much more aloof (not from us, but from the flock). She'll wander off by herself, in the woods, etc. Yesterday, I watched her lay a small, shell-less, egg in the middle of the grass and then eat it. Today, it looks like she also ate the egg (with shell) she laid this morning...and is aloof again. She left the eggs of the others alone (but those were also in the other nesting box).
Is there something I should be watching for or something else that could be wrong, or is this normal?
I do provide oyster shells to the hens (but I did top it off this morning), changed/added more nesting material (pine shavings...unfortunately, my cuckoo marans likes to clear it out when she nests), and put a golf ball in the nesting box. These were suggestions I found on-line. We provide the hens an organic layer feed as well as foraging all day and our kitchen leftovers (we cook all our meals, so this is usually some variant of meat our kids leave behind on their plates and vegetable matter like collards, carrots, kale, etc....you know, not box foods or taco bell or anything).
In case it is relevant, we did just cull (the other day) our last remaining cockerel from the flock (a buff orpington we originally thought was a hen). He seemed pretty gentle, and we were hoping to raise some more of our chicks, but he went after our 3 year-old pretty good...so, that was that.
Any insight or thoughts would be helpful.
Lately, her behavior is much more aloof (not from us, but from the flock). She'll wander off by herself, in the woods, etc. Yesterday, I watched her lay a small, shell-less, egg in the middle of the grass and then eat it. Today, it looks like she also ate the egg (with shell) she laid this morning...and is aloof again. She left the eggs of the others alone (but those were also in the other nesting box).
Is there something I should be watching for or something else that could be wrong, or is this normal?
I do provide oyster shells to the hens (but I did top it off this morning), changed/added more nesting material (pine shavings...unfortunately, my cuckoo marans likes to clear it out when she nests), and put a golf ball in the nesting box. These were suggestions I found on-line. We provide the hens an organic layer feed as well as foraging all day and our kitchen leftovers (we cook all our meals, so this is usually some variant of meat our kids leave behind on their plates and vegetable matter like collards, carrots, kale, etc....you know, not box foods or taco bell or anything).
In case it is relevant, we did just cull (the other day) our last remaining cockerel from the flock (a buff orpington we originally thought was a hen). He seemed pretty gentle, and we were hoping to raise some more of our chicks, but he went after our 3 year-old pretty good...so, that was that.
Any insight or thoughts would be helpful.
Major agreement with "healthy" treats and explanation. I had an issue with my girls seeming to not be gaining weight (4 BOs). Advice given & taken (Thank you aart), my girls only got their feed (fermented Flock Raiser), Oyster Shells, Grit and at close up scattered 1/8 cup BOSS & MW. Since I stopped "healthy" treats; veggies & fruits, kale, some table scraps; they're up in weight and laying. They are confined so the "treats" were more my guilt 
for keeping them confined
