What is left by an eggeating chicken?

[damselfish]

We had a guinea lay an egg in one of our chicken nest boxes today. I saw a hen egg there earlier, but I came back to just a bunch of gooey yolk & stuff mashed into the shavings (and an intact guinea egg, hurray!)

No shell, so clearly somebody ate something. But there was a lot left, including a trail out the door that must have been on her feet...

I'm trying to figure out whether this looks like the scene of a crime or an accident.

So, when you've had egg eaters, do they eat it all, or leave a big mess?

 

[montcapu]

it could be a accident... but if the chickens found it cracked open they will normally go after it, and there could be a big mess left or very little left (had one of my girls laying soft shell eggs for a little while and there was a mess on all the other eggs) so it is really hard to tell if it was an accident or by purpose especially if it was one only time it has happened I would say accident but if it happens a few more times you may have an egg eater

 

[saddina]

Could someone have laid a shellless egg and smushed it? Usually there would be shell left behind.

 

[Judy]

Interesting question. I know they eat the contents, so I'd say you have the scene of an accident. Lucky you.

But I have no idea whether they usually eat the shell or not. Only experience I have is when a broody ate the contents of an egg for hatching. Judging by how the hatch came out, I am comfortable that it was a quitter that was eaten. But the shell was still there.

Subscribing....

 

[Judy]

Ah, good thought, had not thought of shelless.

 

[goldenluver]

chickens do eat egg shells, I have always fed my shells back to the hens.

 

[becky3086]

I could have been an egg with no shell but I find that mine will go after the shell before the go after the contents. Still I think you have an accident and the birds at the shell. Probably not a good thing because now they know it tastes good. I would make sure I collect eggs as often as possible during the day.

 

[morelcabin]

I just culled my egg eater two days ago. I am finally getting eggs again. Those hybrid birds are more trouble than they are worth. I had two in the pen with my barred rocks (that used to be beautiful) until these two back sexlinks started picking thier feathers and eating thier eggs and teaching them to eat thier eggs. NO MORE sex links for me!

And yes, they do eat the shells and everything...in time your nest box starts to smell terrible

 

[damselfish]

Hmm, interesting. The hen egg that got eaten/smashed was a regular egg...I saw it earlier. I should have picked it up but our pullets are right at that "maybe I could lay an egg too" stage, so I like to leave a real one in there for a while in the AM in case they don't like our fake eggs. Kind of silly, I guess.

Well, I will be checking the nest box several times today, that's for sure. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[TildaTrotter]

Sorry but I just have to post this. I had several egg eaters that were ex batt hens (yes sex links). I have no idea how many eggs they were eating but I could not bear to cull them after the life they had had. My mum and dad found an old fashioned website with a link - 10 ways to stop your hens egg eating (I wish we had the link) 1 of the tips was to feed bread and milk and another was to darken the nest boxes. We darkened the nest boxes and they have had 2 bowls of bread and UHT milk every day along with their normal ration of food and we are getting almost double eggs and no evidence of any eggs being eaten at all. It takes a few days but it is worth it.