shoura Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Hello everyone, I'm pretty new at this chicken-keeping but love it! I have 4 chickens, got them middle of August [Cilla , Charlie ,Lady Jane and Isla ] Three of them are now laying regularly, Charlie is still biding her time! All eggs have been lovely and much appreciated! Chickens are in a walk-in run with earth floor, and I have got flag-stones all round the outside to make it fox-proof. The coop (wooden) is in the run. I leave the coop door open all the time so they can put themselves to bed/get up whenever they like. They free-range in the garden at weekends and when I get home from work if it is still light. Problem : This morning I found a perfect egg on the ground in the middle of the run, with a hole in its side and the contents missing (still some egg-white on the ground) Is it likely that something has got into the run and stolen an egg from the coop and eaten it? Or did Isla (it was a white egg ) get "caught short" and lay it out in the open? And are chickens known to eat their own eggs at all? I looked around but couldn't see any obvious entry points at the edges of the run where any creature could have got in. I know there are rats in the area as I live near a stream.... Does it sound like a rat attack and in that case what should I do ??? Help please! Shoura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoura Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share Posted November 22, 2009 well having spent the last hour or so scouring the forum I see that chickens eating their own eggs is not an uncommon problem !! I am hoping that as the egg was in the middle of the run and as I don't suppose Isla carried it there she must have laid it there for some reason, and maybe that was why it got eaten??? naughty girl/girls---not quite sure what I am going to do next----I wonder why she laid it there and not in the nest-box as she usually does?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Hi Shoura Glad you're enjoying your chickens - sounds like your setup is just like mine (except I've got an eglu!). Often they will lay an egg that is less than 100% away from the nestbox. It's like they know it's not a "proper" egg . They will eat their eggs given half a chance but usually only if they're soft or broken to begin with. As long as it doesn't happen again, I wouldn't worry too much . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
