they ate the first egg

[chewbawka]

i have five chickens, 2 are barred plymouth rocks, one is a rhode island red, one a 'fry pan special', but resembles a rhode island red and one is an ameracauna . they other night i checked in on them, and spotted an egg. my joy was shortlived. they all began to peck and eat it. it was already broken when i saw it. is this normal , and also i haven't found any more eggs. i check it several times a day. they are all about 4 to 4 1/2 months old. it was at night when i found the egg and i don't know which one laid it.

 

[Judy]

They will eat a broken egg. Sometimes older flocks do learn the habit of breaking and eating eggs, but it would be very unusual in young pullets, or at least I've never read of it. It sounds like they are just starting to lay, and odd things tend to happen when they are getting started. Give them a few weeks, and put some oyster shell out to help harden their shells. Put hay or something else soft in the nests if you haven't already; the eggs drop a little when they lay them.