Possible egg eater on my hand. Best way of adding more chickens?

Justhatched

Songster
8 Years
May 24, 2011
254
0
101
We bought our first 8 chickens in the spring of this year. A week later we bought 8 more. I love having them.

We got our first egg a few weeks ago and have recently we have gotten around 6 a day. Well, 7 were in the box but I noticed one egg had broken. I suspect it was a soft shell egg. I'm hoping it got stepped on or something and it just happened. This happened 3 times in less than a month. It looked like the egg had been eaten. I wasn't worried too much about having an egg eater because we have gotten eggs with no cracks or anything wrong with them. Do you think this could be a soft shell egg that happened to get stepped on? Or do you think I might have an egg eater?

Just before we started getting eggs I decided I was happy with the amount I have and didn't want anymore. I've changed my mind. I want a few more birds. I'm thinking Araucana, Barred Rock and to get a Buff roo. I would like to add them asap but worry about the quarantine and then putting them together. Our Red stars have strong personalities. I worry someone will get hurt. What do you think?

Thanks!
 
Quote:
When I have a broken egg, I just smash it on the ground and my chickens eat it up in about 30 seconds. If you saw it, it is unlikely a "Chicken" egg eater. I t might be another type of predator, but chickens.... you'd never see it, at least in my limited experience.

As far as putting new groups together, I haven't quarantined mine. Not saying you shouldn't because I know I run the risk of disease. That said, I place the new ones near the others for about a week, then put them in the coop together at night night time. There will be some squabbling, but I've been lucky and not had a bloody chicken yet.
 
Quote:
When I have a broken egg, I just smash it on the ground and my chickens eat it up in about 30 seconds. If you saw it, it is unlikely a "Chicken" egg eater. I t might be another type of predator, but chickens.... you'd never see it, at least in my limited experience.

As far as putting new groups together, I haven't quarantined mine. Not saying you shouldn't because I know I run the risk of disease. That said, I place the new ones near the others for about a week, then put them in the coop together at night night time. There will be some squabbling, but I've been lucky and not had a bloody chicken yet.

There was a broken egg today sitting in the nest with 2 others. The shell was there and the bedding was wet. That is usually how I find them. The wet bedding. So that is 4 broken eggs now. Three of them had the shell still there. She shell was smashed but the liquid is usually gone. I guess I need to figure out a way to find out what is going on.

Thanks for your reply.
 

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