Solitary chicken - need advice

[rosecork]

My three chickens are becoming really difficult about the nest box. First layer Jessie is fine, lays reliably everyday. Second layer Hetty laid on the bars (eglu go) for ages, but then seemed to get the hang of it. When third layer Hilda started, everything was ok for a while, generally three clean eggs all together.

 

Recently however, it seems that if Hilda lays first, eggs are fine, but if she lays second or third, then I get one clean Hilda egg in the nest, and one or two filthy/broken eggs that seem to have been 'turfed out' and rolled around the bars. I have never actually witnessed this though, and sometimes it seems like one of the others must have done this. Do chickens get overprotective/want the box to themselves?

 

The weirdest thing though, was yesterday morning I went out to find Jessie in the nest box, with two broken eggs on the bars, and Hilda standing on her back, literally pinning her down! She wouldn't get off and I had to lift her, and I later noticed she had pecked a load of feathers out one side of Jessies neck. This morning I go out to find another broken egg on the bars, this time with Hetty being pinned down by Hilda. Hilda seems to be bottom of the pile usually, so why is she doing this?

 

Sorry for the long post, but its the strangest behaviour I have ever seen from a chicken. What do I do?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Are their eggs nice and hard? Sometimes if an egg is a bit weak-shelled it might break if they turf it out and then they will happily stuff their faces with the contents. You don't want them developing a taste for eating their eggs, it's a hard habit to break. Limestone flour, among other things, can help with shell quality.

 

How long have you had them? The other behaviour sounds like pecking order being established. If there's no blood being drawn, I'd just keep an eye on it to make sure there are no injuries and they might sort it out amongst themselves.

[Beantree]

We've had something similar with our Leghorns recently. It appears that the nest box is territory to be held at all costs. So that means throwing your opponents eggs out. We added a pot egg and the behaviour stopped.

[Firescorpion]

If they already have a taste for egg they will purposely break them to get to the middle and if your chickens keep pulling feathers out of the others there is a powder you can put on them that should help stop it, I think omlet do sell it in their shop? As for the eggs just make sure to get to them nice and early to remove the temptation. I have four rescue chickens and they all lay nicely in same nest box( bucket)

[Firescorpion]

Nettex or biolink should work ?for anti pecking, sold in omlet shop.