What happend to the egg?

[Egg_cited]

Today I was in my chicken coop and saw my 4 year old cochin jump out from the nesting box acting like she was done. So I went to grab the egg but all I found was a little piece of a egg shell and a little bit of egg yolk scattered around the nesting box? What happened? Her beak wasn't yellow so I don't think she ate it. They are feed a chick starter with plenty of oyster shells on the side and no one has a problem.

 

[Egg_cited]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous
I'm so sorry for tagging you guys in another one of my chicken problems..

 

[Skyewatcher]

Not sure- she could've stepped on it. Might want to check her over and make sure none of it stuck inside her...

 

[Egg_cited]

Not sure- she could've stepped on it. Might want to check her over and make sure none of it stuck inside her...

Just checked! She seems all fine and is acting normally

 

[Skyewatcher]

Just checked! She seems all fine and is acting normally

Hhmmm, that is a puzzler- I don't really know.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like a mystery.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It sounds like a mystery.

I agree.

 

[azygous]

Did you pull up the nesting material and look and feel under it for the rest of the egg? This is very common in a flock with aging layers. Hens live long lives in my flock, often reaching age nine or ten easily.

However, by the time a hen reaches age six, I begin to find thin shell eggs and broken eggs in the nests. When other hens lay eggs in the nest with the thin shell egg, it increases the chances the egg will break as other hens hop in and out of the nest to lay their eggs.

Eventually, if I am late in collecting the eggs, that thin shell egg gets broken. If a hen notices, they will automatically capitalize on their good fortune and eat the broken egg. Often, they do such a good job of cleaning up the egg, I may only see a yolk stain and a few fragments of shell. This really is no mystery unless it's a snake or some other animal raiding the nest for eggs, and though this has never occurred in my flock, it happens quite often to other chicken keepers.