Silkie behavior

[hcarr1234]

We have a silikie hen named Two-key ( by my 3 yr old grandson). She usually lays her eggs in her nest box, but on two occasions she has laid outside on the ground and has eaten those eggs. Don't know why she does this. I was home for the first one and the egg was soft, but I don't know if the second one was. She was laying everyother day, but for some reason she seems to be laying one in the morning and one in the evening for the last to days. It has to be her laying because she is the only hen I have that is old enough to lay. The next oldest I have is 10 weeks and they are in lockdown in the brooder. Any ideas? Oh, and she should be setting but she hasn't yet.

 

[paddock36]

Maybe she needs some extra oyster shell in her diet. That may be the reason for the soft eggs.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Do you have a fake egg in the nestbox? If not, you can use a golf ball or buy a fake egg. This is supposed to prevent egg eating and to encourage them to lay in the nest box.

 

[hcarr1234]

She has oyster shell available when she wants it and we are leaving her eggs to encourage her to set.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Some people on BYC say that when you put a fake egg in the nest box, it discourages them from eating the eggs because they peck it and nothing happens.

I understand encouraging her to set, though. Egg eating is a habit and you want to nip it in the bud.

When they lay soft shelled eggs, they do eat them sometimes. I have seen this. I actually mix my oyster shell in with my feed mix (a small amount) to encourage them to eat it. It has worked. Their shells are perfect. They leave the unwanted oyster shell in the feeders.

It is normal IMO for a hen to occasionally lay a "weird" egg- soft shell, strange shape, etc. (As long as it goes back to a normal pattern of laying.)