Help......vent pecking and egg eating

[Chilcoj]

Help please...just had a nasty turn

We've had one of our Black Rocks laying soft eggs which all the others dive on and eat as soon as they can. To help we have started adding the grit to the food instead of having it seperate to ensure that they are getting enough.

Just now we have had one of our Amber Stars chasing the Black Rock around the pen with an egg hanging out to finally grab it and be joined in with the others to eat it....but it didn't stop there...she then went on to keep pecking at the vent area, making it bleed and very sore...:

We've penned up the Black Rock in the corner of the pen to calm down as she really looks shook up.....anybody got any idea's about why this happened and what we can do about it???

[OverWyreGrower]

Not sure about why it happened....
But, could you seperate your Black Rock for a bit and make sure she is a) eating lots of grit/shell, b) laying hard eggs, and c) her vent is healed up nicely, before she goes back in with the others.

I'd perhaps worm her, make sure she han't got lice/mites etc as well, as I think these can contribute to soft shelled eggs?

Apparantly chickens will eat soft shelled, or cracked eggs. I think that maybe if they've been eating them from the nest box/house, then the temptation of an almost laid one might have been too much.

At leats if you can seperate her for a few days, the others won't have any eggs to eat.

[CountryFayre]

Cider vinegar in the water can help with soft shelled eggs. If you are feeding a layers pellet or mash, she should be getting enough calcium and therefor shouldn't need the oystershell. However, if you are feeding a large proportion of corn and treats then this will knock the amount of vitamins and minerals she will be taking in from her main ration.

With regards to the vent pecking, i would keep an eye on the offending hen, to ensure she doesn't start on another bird now the black rock has been removed. If she does, remove her from the pen for a few days so that when she is reinstated, hopefully she will be at the bottom of the pecking order.

[yoanbob]

sounds like what started as free food has become an obsession, first make sure your bird is in top form before putting her back and second take the lead bird in the flock out for a week or so things should get better.

[Qwerty]

How shocking! poor you. I d'ont really have any good advice on the matter, Im more of a duck guy. Stay strong!

[Chilcoj]

Hi everyone

Thanks for all your help and support but to no avail

Despite being seperated, over the weekend she got very lethargic, didn't want to eat or drink and was having a white discharge. Even when we let her wander around the garden the others tried to attack her throught the fencing.

In the end we put her out of her misery and she has now gone to the big field in the sky.

The others have calmed down dramatically and we are down to 12

[Chapel Lane]

Poor chicken, I do find that chickens can be so spiteful!