4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[sootem]

I have just let the girls out of the cube for breakfast. They are all quite young and so far only two out of the six have started to lay.

 

The girls sleep together in the cube nesting box and I always check it first thing. I was shocked to see loads of egg yolk all over the woodshavings and no shell anywhere to be seen. I immediately removed the eggy shavings and disposed of them. Whilst doing this I found a perfect newly laid warm egg - not smashed or anything.

 

Do you think it could be that the girls are beginning to lay and have laid some soft eggs which have been squashed.

 

Advice please.

 

Susanxx

[Snowy]

Hi Susan,

It does sound like someone has laid a softie. Most normal eggs will tolerate a certain amount of chicken trampling, but obviously a soft or thin shell will break. And then of course they eat it. I wouldn't worry, this is quite common in new layers and they don't necessarily get a taste for them straight away. You've done the right thing and removed the evidence as soon as possible.

[Hen Watch]

Hi, the new girls are still settling into laying I expect. Mine will eat the papery shells on softies in a flash. No need to worry unduly.

[sootem]

Thank you everyone - another of the girls has laid an egg since the egg yolk incident and didn't eat it - so you're probably right. This is the first day we've had three eggs - small and perfectly formed. Wonderful - I really love them - the girls I mean.

 

Susanxx