Who's eating eggs?

[curliegirlie89]

Over the last month, our 2nd flock has begun to lay. However, we periodically find eggs that have obviously been pecked open and eaten. Some eggs are left untouched. How do I figure out who it is? The 2nd flock consists of all hens. The breeds are 1 of each: white leghorn, golden laced wyandotte, silver laced Wyandotte, "production red" (cross btwn a leghorn and RIR?), australorp, and black jersey giant. There are also 5 khaki campbell ducks (4 hens and 1 drake) but I really don't think it's any of the ducks. Also if anyone has any good ideas about how to stop this, I'd appreciate it. I lost 2 eggs today from this.

 

[pennyJo1960]

try putting fake eggs or golf balls in do you offer oyster shell to the flock

 

[aart]

Agrees that fake eggs can help deter this habit.
Gathering often helps too,
I replace real eggs with fakies in the nest when gathering.

Wonders if the eggs pecked are thin shelled?
Sometimes new layers do some 'curiosity' pecking?
A true egg eater will leave nothing but a wet spot.

Do birds have plenty of space and a good ration?
Crowding stress and lack of nutrients can cause egg eating.

"2nd flock"...housed separately from '1st flock' ?

 

[Izzychicky]

I think that the fake eggs might help, you can get ceramic eggs at the feed store

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I agree with aart, thin shelled eggs/new layers is the reason. If an egg gets broken most of it is eaten but that stops once the shells thicken up in few months of laying. Having this happen each year it's never resulted in an "egg eater" in my flock. By that I mean a bird that intentionally seeks and eats eggs unless I break them open for them. Actually did that this afternoon, had some dirty eggs piling up so took them out and smashed on ground for the birds. They love 'em.

 

[curliegirlie89]

try putting fake eggs or golf balls in do you offer oyster shell to the flock

Thanks for the reply. We have had fake eggs in all of the nesting boxes for about 2 months. The feed we give has oyster shell already added. I've never heard of using golf balls.

 

[curliegirlie89]

Agrees that fake eggs can help deter this habit.
Gathering often helps too,
I replace real eggs with fakies in the nest when gathering.

Wonders if the eggs pecked are thin shelled?
Sometimes new layers do some 'curiosity' pecking?
A true egg eater will leave nothing but a wet spot.

Do birds have plenty of space and a good ration?
Crowding stress and lack of nutrients can cause egg eating.

"2nd flock"...housed separately from '1st flock' ?

thanks for the reply! I have fakes in already (about 1 months before they 1st started laying). We gather eggs daily. The egg shells are a bit thin but we know to expect that with new layers.

They have plenty of space. In fact, we just enclosed part of our back yard to allow them to free range without danger of heading to the road or the neighbor's house. The area is about 50' x 70' for a total of 13 chickens and 5 ducks.

I've never heard of "curiosity" pecking. There is usually quite a good bit of the egg white and some yoke left when we find the broken eggs. So, maybe that's it.

Feed: We usually give Layena Oyster Strong to our feathered babies. I assume it is a good feed.

1st and 2nd flock have their own houses to roost in at night but they now free range together. We kept the flocks separate until about 1 week ago, when we enclosed the yard. We didn't want the 2nd flock pecked by the 1st until everyone was used to each other. The 2nd flock had their own yard adjacent to the 1st flock to let everyone get to know each other.

 

[curliegirlie89]

I think that the fake eggs might help, you can get ceramic eggs at the feed store

Thanks for the suggeston. I usually buy the packages with one of the ceramic eggs broken because I can get it for 1/2 price and then I just glue the egg back together. The hens don't seem to care about the cracks or the black lines I mark the fakes with. I find it easier to figure out which ones to harvest and which to leave by doing that.

 

[aart]

The area is about 50' x 70' for a total of 13 chickens and 5 ducks.

But how big is the coop? That's where things can get hairy.

I've never heard of "curiosity" pecking. There is usually quite a good bit of the egg white and some yoke left when we find the broken eggs. So, maybe that's it.

Have seen with with almost every group of pullets just starting to lay...it usually doesn't last long, but I am around all the time to gather eggs frequently when there's an issue.

 

[Poultry4Health]

I think we need to design nests where eggs roll into an inaccessible pocket/enclosure.