One hen is pecking her eggshell, but not eating it (so far)

[Cheep]

Do I treat her as an egg-eater in the making? It seems like a natural precursor. The eggs are beautiful & the shells hard.

What I have been doing, is watching her when I can, around egg-laying time.

It has happened 2x; once I found the pecked egg, & next time she was in the coop with the egg, which had been pecked thru the shell, so a little point of egg was visible.

I am so worried. I only have 6 hens, & I am attached to them all. I hate to think of the implications - am I panicking too soon?

 

[Zoomom]

Really watch her. I had this problem with my two RIR x hens. They started waiting for someone to lay an egg so they could eat it right away. Ginger was especially bad. At first, Miss Prissy would leave an egg in the nest unless Ginger opened it up, but eventually, she was making holes in eggs, too. They were silent hunters. They stopped making the egg song so I could grab the egg right away.
I had to cull them as I couldn't get them to stop.
RIP Miss Prissy and Ginger. (They became Soup and Stew.)

 

[Cheep]

Thank you for the reply.

I have got my eye on her, except of course when I have to go about the rest of my life.

I've got my fingers crossed, too.

 

[PEI chicken]

Hi

Would placing a golf ball in the nest help? If she pecked at it a few times, she may give up pecking eggs.

 

[Cheep]

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll try that.