jomaxsmith Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Disaster! I've had my new hens about 26 hours and the eagerly awaited first egg has arrived...but the hen then stuck her beak in it, dragged it into the run and started eating it Luckily she pulled it to right next to the door so I quickly got it out and dug out the spilled contents and the earth they were on but she looked as if she was really enjoying it! I have to admit that my boys and I were watching her from quite close to the Eglu because she was acting strange and I thought she was about to lay - is it possible this stressed her into eating it? I bought her yesterday as a new layer, the other two are only about 16 weeks. The egg was very soft shelled; I've been advised to keep all 3 of them on Grower's Mash until I've finished the sack I bought then go on to Layer's. I mixed in some Grower's grit today. Is there anything I need to do to stop her doing it again or should I just put it down to the stress of the move and the complete change of lifestyle? Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 She may have got into habit in her previous home. All you can do is remove the eggs at the earliest opportunity, Maybe give her some privacy whilst she is laying it so as not to stress her. Some people recommend removing the contents from an egg and filling it with mustard, to teach the hen a lesson, if it becomes a habit. You could try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Sometimes mine lay soft eggs and if we don't get there in time they eat it. I wondered if it was to do with them knowing it's an improper egg and so they get rid of it. When they first started laying they laid occasional softies and if they get a scare from the squirrel or dog they might produce one too. I have started giving them a bowl of porridge in the evening with baked egg shells, grit and oyster shell in just to make sure they get lots of calcium. Possibly the move has unsettled them, but I'm sure they'll settle down. I have read on here that if they eat their eggs you can fill a shell with mustard or something to put them off. I'm sure someone with a lot more experience than me will be along to offer more advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Oh dear! Unfortunately they do love raw egg! If they lay a soft shelled egg they will gobble it up. The problem comes if they develop a taste for them and start to deliberately break good eggs. You say you were sold her as a layer - does that mean that she has laid before or was this her first ever? Cynically, I am just wondering if the dealer knew she was an egg eater hence being keen to sell her It can be a very difficult habit to break. But if it is her first, hopefully she will start to lay with stronger shells and not eat those. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 27, 2007 Author Share Posted October 27, 2007 Thanks all, I'm hoping it's just stress! She was being sold as part of the poultry centre's newest batch of various breeds of hybrids. Most of the others are about 16 weeks and yet to lay but the Corals like her were already laying (and she has a handsome red comb to prove it!) If she does it repeatedly I'll explore the various methods to break the habit. The worst thing is we'd earmarked the egg for the boys' tea and now I've got to find something else! Jo PS I wasn't expecting one solitary egg to be their only food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madchook Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Just to add that mine will eagerly eat an egg if it is soft, or it cracked (or my dd drops it on the steps ). They are really very ...excitedly cannibalistic about it (you try and take it away lol!!)...but they are yet to figure that they can break a good intact one / or they just don't want to who knows. Hopefully your girl is the same. My girls have only just gone on layers but have been laying a couple of weeks and I supplemented with plenty of baked egg shells ground up with their grit as one girl was laying softies for a brief time while still on growers and it certainly seemed to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenzin Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Really important to monitor egg eating hens , you should be able to tell as soon as they've laid as they like to annoounce they have , get straight in the nesting box and take the eggs - egg , after a time the habbit should stop , that's if she's got a bad habbit , could always try putting some egg shapped stones in the nesting box to confuse her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Hi Jo! I think the most likely reason she ate it was because it was soft shelled. She really needs to get her calcium levels up to form harder shells as soon as possible. My vet has suggested smashing up cuttle fish bone (available from pet shops in the bird section) with a pestle and mortar and making sure each chook gets around a tsp of that every day. Calcium will not only make her egg shells firmer (which might dissuade her from pecking and eating) but will help her expel the eggs as it improves the strength of her egg expelling contractions. In the meantime, I think you're going to have to do as others have suggested and monitor the egg laying closely, confiscating them as soon as she's laid until she breaks the habit. Good luck! Sue x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 She was being sold as part of the poultry centre's newest batch of various breeds of hybrids. Oooh, you're in my neck of the woods. Where'd you get her then if you don't mind me asking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 When my Pepperpot was going through the eggopause, she frequently laid soft-shelled eggs, which were gobbled up almost as soon as they hit the ground. As the hens didn't touch the "real" eggs, I looked on it as a bonus: they were clearing up the mess and recycling the protein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 Oooh, you're in my neck of the woods. Where'd you get her then if you don't mind me asking? I'm in a village near Biggleswade, all my chooks are from Thornes. There's quite a few of us in this area! Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 When my Pepperpot was going through the eggopause, she frequently laid soft-shelled eggs, which were gobbled up almost as soon as they hit the ground. eggopause - all these techy chicken terms I need to learn! Is that the start or the end of the eggs? Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Sorry, I just made that word up. "Menopause" didn't sound quite right, as hens don't have cycles like mammals. "Ovipause" might be better. I meant the time when their egg-laying apparatus is starting to wind down -- at the grand old age of two in the case of my hen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I'm in a village near Biggleswade, all my chooks are from Thornes. There's quite a few of us in this area! Jo I love thornes, I go there to just watch the chickens! They didn't have many hybrids ready a couple of weeks ago when we last visited, just some white stars who were pecking the knickers off each other. Looks like I'll have to make an excuse to go and have another look. Don't know quite what Marigold and Daffodil would make of another chicken or two though, never mind DH, who keeps talking about eating them! I'll just have to stick to window shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 They didn't have many hybrids ready a couple of weeks ago when we last visited, just some white stars who were pecking the knickers off each other. That's why we waited until this weekend - the old lot were looking a bit tatty (in fact, they all had purple sprayed backsides when we went last weekend ) They've just got a new load in this week including: Columbines (they are very proud of these - they lay blue eggs!) Maran Cuivre Coral Silver Nicks Rhode Star The white ones that are Not For Beginners (White Star?) white ones with a collar of black, lavendar grey ones and some speckly grey ones (all too big for my Eglu so I don't know their names!) Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Sorry, I just made that word up. "Menopause" didn't sound quite right, as hens don't have cycles like mammals. "Ovipause" might be better. I meant the time when their egg-laying apparatus is starting to wind down -- at the grand old age of two in the case of my hen. I call it the Henopause Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...