Rescue chicken with bad habit

[yickenscarf23]

So my flock of 14 chickens and ducks has been perfect, no problems or illness whatsoever. A little hen showed up at a friend of mines house and they have been trying to trap her for a year and occasionally would feed her crackers. Recently, they managed to grab her as she was being attacked by a cat. I brought her home and quarantined her. She is incredibly skinny still but eating and drinking well and is devouring oyster shells. I put her out with the flock when I was sure she wasn't diseased and after a few good pecks and scuffles she's integrating herself as expected.

Tonight I unfortunately learned how she had been staying alive. She layed an egg (see through and rubbery) and immediately ate the entire thing. I'm very worried that she will teach my hens to do this. Will she stop as she realizes she is no longer starving? Is there a way to stop her?

She's been alone and wild her entire life and I don't want to have to make her live alone again, she is truly a sweetheart.

 

[sourland]

It is not unusual for birds to eat shell less eggs. If she is indeed "devouring oyster shell" it is likely that her body is calcium deficient. I'd be tempted to give her separate quarters until the quality of her eggs improves. Your flock may be tempted by the present vulnerability of her soft shelled eggs, and egg eating can escalate to attempts at hard shelled eggs.

 

[B-Goock]

There's only one thing that I've had success in stopping egg eating.
I poked a small hole in one end and a larger hole in the other end. Blew the egg empty and filled it with that creamy looking hand soap. Place in their area and let them have at it. Two or three times and they won't even touch an egg.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

There's only one thing that I've had success in stopping egg eating.
I poked a small hole in one end and a larger hole in the other end. Blew the egg empty and filled it with that creamy looking hand soap. Place in their area and let them have at it. Two or three times and they won't even touch an egg.

Geez, that’s a new one, but sure sounds great! I was on here for advice and was told to get ceramic eggs or rocks. I chose rocks, because I wasn’t convinced my hens were eating the eggs...even though the nest boxes were left with yolk mess and no egg. Anyways, since putting in the rocks..no more eating eggs! I do like the idea of separating her until her eggs harden and she stops this...just to prevent the others from doing it like stayed above. Perhaps just put a cage inside the coop so she’s not really alone?

 

[B-Goock]

Geez, that’s a new one, but sure sounds great! I was on here for advice and was told to get ceramic eggs or rocks. I chose rocks, because I wasn’t convinced my hens were eating the eggs...even though the nest boxes were left with yolk mess and no egg. Anyways, since putting in the rocks..no more eating eggs! I do like the idea of separating her until her eggs harden and she stops this...just to prevent the others from doing it like stayed above. Perhaps just put a cage inside the coop so she’s not really alone?

Be alot better to not let the rest learn that from her. Letting them see each other but isolated probably work.
Some say that when they do that it because of their diet. Or it could be being chickens someone cracked an egg an they try everything so they figure out what we know. Eggs are tasty!

 

[yickenscarf23]

Geez, that’s a new one, but sure sounds great! I was on here for advice and was told to get ceramic eggs or rocks. I chose rocks, because I wasn’t convinced my hens were eating the eggs...even though the nest boxes were left with yolk mess and no egg. Anyways, since putting in the rocks..no more eating eggs! I do like the idea of separating her until her eggs harden and she stops this...just to prevent the others from doing it like stayed above. Perhaps just put a cage inside the coop so she’s not really alone?

I'll probably separate her then. When her egg quality improves is it likely she will stop the behavior?

 

[NatJ]

I'll probably separate her then. When her egg quality improves is it likely she will stop the behavior?

Maybe?

After her eggs are harder, and after she's not so starved, maybe give her some fake eggs in a nestbox--so she can try to eat them, and not get anything yummy. She might give up trying after a while. (I'm not sure if fake eggs now would help--she might just get very good at telling fake eggs from real, softshell ones. I'm not sure how smart chickens are about that!)

 

[BarredRockMom]

I'm not sure if she'll stop or not. I think that's going to be a "wait & see" kind of thing.

Something that did occur to me is that I could've sworn I saw an ad for angled nest boxes somewhere. The premise is that when a hen lays an egg, it gently rolls down the sloped bottom of the egg box & into a collection area that's not accessible to the hens.

I've not seen one or used one, but I bet you could try it.

 

[gtaus]

Tonight I unfortunately learned how she had been staying alive. She layed an egg (see through and rubbery) and immediately ate the entire thing. I'm very worried that she will teach my hens to do this. Will she stop as she realizes she is no longer starving? Is there a way to stop her?

I would keep this rescue hen in a separate cage inside my coop so she could feel part of the flock. Then, after proper feeding and weight gain, I would expect her to start laying eggs and not eating them. I have some fake wooden eggs, so I'd probably put those in her nest box so when she pecks at the wooden eggs she won't be able to eat them. Once I see she is no longer eating her egg(s), then I would feel more confident in letting her back into the main flock.