They ate an egg! :(

[JaeG]

Oyster shell is a better source of calcium. A hen would need to consume the equivalent of 2-3 whole egg shells to provide enough calcium for one days worth. And the size of the particles matter as the hen will digest it overnight as her body creates the shell for the next days egg, and the larger the piece, the longer it lasts. Here's an article that explains more:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/08/for-strong-eggshells-size-matters/

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I suspect an egg fell from the nest box.

It's a myth that chickens will learn to eat their own eggs from eating eggs. I feed my chickens eggs all the time, eggs that have cracks or are too dirty or old. I just smash em on the ground right in front of the birds and they eat them. If I don't smash them hard enough to properly crack and they are intact, they will peck once or twice and then leave it alone. If I don't break it open they won't touch it.

Chickens sometimes eat eggs seasonally as well as hormones shift in the early spring and late fall. Egg eating can be semi "normal" during these times.

Chickens that regularly eat eggs that are not broken should be removed from the flock if you can.

 

[aart]

@JaeG and @ChocolateMouse have offered info filled with logic and reason.

Agrees with the fake eggs too, can really help 'spread the love',
tho there can still be bickering over a favorite nest.


@Mom3timz another aspect might be that you just got these birds a couple few weeks ago and they may still be settling in and establishing a pecking order.
Another aspect might be crowding, the 4x8 coop/run might be a bit tight for 5 birds.
ETA: do the nests have good tall front(4-6") to minimize the chance that eggs will be kicked out of nest?

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is a lot going on in your post. A lot of it has been addressed but I'll give my take. I don't think you have much to worry about.

As some said, an egg eater is a chicken that purposely opens an egg to eat it. About any chicken will eat an egg that is broken, that's pretty normal. It sounds like an egg was accidentally broken. How? Who knows. It could have been scratched out of the nest, maybe when a hen was rearranging the nest to lay. Maybe it was broken in the nest and one carried half the shell out of the nest. I had two broody hens fight over some eggs one time, all the broken eggs stayed in the nest. Maybe something else.

I had an egg-eating hen once. When she opened an egg in the nest not all the shell was cleaned up and a soggy mess was left in the nest. If a hen is opening eggs consistently you should see signs occasionally. I think what caused her to open eggs to eat was a pullet was laying form the roost an egg broke. But that is just a guess.

A lot of hens do not sing the egg song, that is totally normal.

It is pretty common for me to see two or even three hens crowded into one nest laying with the other nests open. Most hens seem willing to share. But I've also seen a dominant hen grab a pullet by the head and jerk her out of the nest so she could lay there in private. That same hen might be willing to share a nest with older hens, just not that pullet. I had a nest hog that would stay on a nest for three hours laying her egg and would not let another hen share. I keep a fake egg (I use golf balls but ceramic or wooden eggs or plastic Easter eggs can work) in each nest. They do have a favorite nest, which can vary day to day or week to week but i usually get a majority in one nest with a few in the others. What i'm trying to say is that they are not all that consistent about this. Each has its own personality and about anything can happen. If you want to try to spread them out try putting a fake egg in every nest except the popular one. See what happens. It may work, it may not.

I don't know what caused that commotion. My set-up is a lot different from yours and I raise a lot of cockerels with the flock. When they fight it's usually not that loud but i have loads of room. As tight as yours are in that tractor maybe the proximity of a fight caused it. Chickens have a lot of different vocalizations, they do communicate. One time I had a snake in the coop. The chickens were all gathered outside and making sort of a whining sound, it was not that loud. When they are scared but seem to not know for sure what is going on mine might all get worked up with a sound pretty close to the egg song. That really gets loud. My guess is that one of them saw something that made her nervous, maybe a predator but maybe something else, and started that sound. The others joined in. I scared mine once when I carried a small camera down there, they were not used to the camera.

You get a lot of different opinions on feeding them extra calcium. If Layer is all they are eating they should get enough calcium for the egg shells. Should but some hens have different efficiencies on their digestive track. But yours are in a tractor, they are probably foraging some low calcium feed. You may be giving them low calcium treats. If you live in limestone country they may be getting a lot of calcium from the rocks they eat. They can pick up some calcium from certain plants they eat or even some creepy crawlies they may catch. A fair portion of the calcium they eat from oyster shells, egg shells, Layer feed, or anything else is never digested but travels on through the system and out the back end. Let your egg shells tell you how you are doing with the calcium. If the egg shells are hard enough you are doing OK. If they are soft or thin you may need to do something different. Some people like to tell you what is best, but they could be in different circumstances. In my opinion if what you are doing is working, it is working. You are doing well enough.

I probably missed something but that's enough this morning. Hopefully this will help you determine if you do have a problem. Good luck!

 

[aart]

I think it was just generally jostling that one day. Far as I can tell hasn't happened again.

They can get pret-ty rowdy. Glad things have smoothed out for you.

 

[Mom3timz]

well if they eat an egg( like they open the egg themselves and it didn't fall and open) you want to cull them before the others do, And instead of the shells of the eggs get oyster shells and mix it with there food

I've never seen a busted one in nesting box. I'm really hoping it just fell this one time somehow.

 

[HannaKessler]

My hens would occasionally eat an egg if it falls and cracks. It isn't a huge deal as long as it doesn't become a pattern.

 

[Mom3timz]

My hens would occasionally eat an egg if it falls and cracks. It isn't a huge deal as long as it doesn't become a pattern.

Thanks!

 

[Mom3timz]

Yeah I get it but, most people use oyster shells as a better source due to it not being egg, its just safer. and get some layers feed, scratch and cracked corn. i

Oops, forgot to clarify that -- they are on layer feed.

 

[Mom3timz]

I'm guessing that in the fight for the premium nest box, one just got cracked and they ate it. Mine have done the same thing a couple times in the 1.5 years they've been laying, and I don't think it's any big deal. I've dropped an egg on the way out of the coop before and they cleaned it up and never tried to crack open their eggs otherwise.

Oh good, that makes me feel better. I was worried it could become a habit or something. Thanks!