joza2210 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Hello , my sebright hen only lays around once a week and last week my dad found a egg cracked in the run so we just thought it might of been stood on ... Buy today she laied one in the house and once again - cracked ... They yolk and shell is there - none of it eaten ... But what Is she doing ? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellykelly Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Are they weak shells? I had a couple last week that were cracked due to the shell being a little thin. I'm pretty sure they weren't pecked. Had they have been broken any more and the contents to have leaked out a little, I'm pretty sure all my chooks would have got stuck in and eaten it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waders Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Hi, My pepperpot has been laying soft shelled eggs for a while now. She is the bottom of the pecking order and will not eat without the others eating first. I have tried to feed her before the others but she seems to sense that it isn't right. She'll wander off only to return when the others are eating and then she'll stand and wait her turn. I think she has stepped on her soft egg many a time and that probably was the start. Now the other two have taken to eating eggs even hanging around outside the nestbox (like teenagers outside the off-licence!), hectoring who ever is laying. My OH heard a noise like someone tapping an egg and peeked inside to find Bossy Betty pecking at hers. It was too late to rescue so I put some mustard on it (at the time I didn't realise you need to put it inside the shell) but she appeared to enjoy that. I have put a golf ball in the nestbox but that doesn't appear to work either. This last week I have only had 3 eggs as opposed to the normal average of 10. I work so I can't be there to snatch the egg away as soon as it's been laid. I'm sure I read somewhere that once they get a taste for eggs there's pretty much nothing you can do to stop them. Is that true? Any advice would be very much appreciated as it can't carry on. I let them out to free range under supervision for about 3-4 hours during the afternoon/evening in the week, longer at the weekend and they have an extended run with stuff to peck at. They're fed with mash, mixed corn and a few left over vegetables. I'm cleaning out the nestbox daily to remove any smell and shells. Is there some device I can put in the box? Help! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
