What starts a hen egg eating?

[Storybook Farm]

I am having the oddest experiences here. I can’t figure it out.

I’ve been keeping chickens for about four years. Never had an egg eater.

Then, this spring, a coop of Light Sussex pullets came to age and started laying and one (only one) egg was eaten daily. At first there was simply a hole punched in it, but later the egg was cracked open and all over the place.

I finally pulled out three hens and put them into our observation coops for a week. All of them continued to lay and NONE of them ate the eggs. The remaining three pullets in that coop did not eat any eggs, so it had to be one of the three I pulled out.

Then, yesterday, I found that one of my Marans hens was eating an egg. ????

Is it stress? A missing vitamin or mineral? Why did the change of environment help? I have not changed feeds. I feel a quality feed with a 10% mix of extras like 4-way scratch, calf manna, and BOSS mixed in. I offer free choice calcium.

Help?

 

[chickengirl778]

They could be bored. Do they have greenery in their run? Perhaps a hanging lettuce would help?

 

[ronott1]

Usually something makes the egg shells weak if the hens are doing it. Parasytes, lack of vitamin D and etc.
Sometimes it is not the hens. Blue Jays will break the eggs and then the hens will eat what is left over.

Check for parasytes
Give them free choice oyster shell calcium
Give them a vitamin with Vitamin D in it. Durvet sells one that is for eggs that is vitamin D and mairgold

 

[Storybook Farm]

Thanks! They are in runs outdoors, so it could be boredom. It can’t be wild birds because of the configuration of our coops.

How do I check for parasites?

Is Durvet online?

 

[ronott1]

You would be amazed at how blue jays can get into a coop.

Fecal float test for worms--any vet can do this but do not tell them it is chicken poo
Look for little specks on the vent that move. It is best to check at night
Lice are on the feather shafts

Amazon has the egg booster but you can sometimes find it at a feed store like tsc

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XY7PTNN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Storybook Farm]

Thx. My coops: pictured. I guess they *could* go in the pop door, and fly to the back and get into the nesting boxes... but every day for months? I don’t think so...

 

[ronott1]

Thx. My coops: pictured. I guess they *could* go in the pop door, and fly to the back and get into the nesting boxes... but every day for months? I don’t think so...
View attachment 1379579

Do you give them free choice oyster shell calcium?

Very nice setup!

 

[Storybook Farm]

Yes, I do give oyster shell. (Thanks! We love them. I designed and built them myself, so pardonably proud!)

We are getting ready to end breeding season and shift to a different, community coop to allow pasturing for the summer. I’ll see if that changes anything. I would guess it’s the boredom/lack of greenery... since they get lots of sun (Vit. D) and I can’t see any parasites. If it continues, though, I will test for parasites. So far, when I switched up the housing for the three suspected miscreants, I’ve seen no more eaten eggs. And the Marans hen hasn’t done it since, either. I also bought a head of cabbage to feed... we’ll see!

Thanks, as always, all!

 

[ronott1]

Yes, I do give oyster shell. (Thanks! We love them. I designed and built them myself, so pardonably proud!)

We are getting ready to end breeding season and shift to a different, community coop to allow pasturing for the summer. I’ll see if that changes anything. I would guess it’s the boredom/lack of greenery... since they get lots of sun (Vit. D) and I can’t see any parasites. If it continues, though, I will test for parasites. So far, when I switched up the housing for the three suspected miscreants, I’ve seen no more eaten eggs. And the Marans hen hasn’t done it since, either. I also bought a head of cabbage to feed... we’ll see!

Thanks, as always, all!

Good Job! I hope they stop breaking the eggs now.

 

[chickens really]

Too much extras and not getting enough protein..