Will this be a problem?

[mamaj323]

We got our first egg ever on last Wed. from one of our Cuckoo Marans. Pretty little dark egg. She laid four days in a row but the last two days nothing. I thought maybe I'd spruce up the nesting boxes for her as encouragement. When I went in the coop I discovered we have a new layer! Under the roost was a big pale beige egg! Unfortunately, the shell was thin and it didn't survive the drop. It was obvious that some of the girls had been enjoying my egg after it broke. Now I'm worried. Did my new layer's surprise egg just create a bunch of egg eaters? None of the CM were touched. Is there something I can do to ensure they won't go crazy on the next egg? I will be very frustrated if now that I'm FINALLY getting eggs the ladies eat them first.

Tragic.

 

[Shan30]

Don't worry this is no big deal.

Chickens are opportunistic, if the egg is already broken they will eat it. New or young layers may peck at an egg out of curiosity or to see it the shell is strong enough for hatching.

I throw cracked eggs to the girls all the time and have no problems with egg eating.

Congratulations on the eggs by the way!

 

[mamaj323]

Whew! Thank you! I thought I was going to have to camp out in there! Lol!