Delight and dismay!

[Snadger]

I got an egg........but the little gits ate it!

There was a half eaten egg in the run and the runt of the litter was eating it!

I've looked at some of the previous threads on egg eating and I'm hoping it's just a temporary setback as they've had a deprived childhood with there previous keeper.
The chook that was eating it is easily identifyable as she is the smallest and has a dark beak.
I'm going to go down the porcelain egg route and also seperate her if need be.
She was eating it but I can't guarantee she was the one that broke it so she's part innocent until proven guilty.
I suppose because she's smaller than the rest she maybe thinks this will be a quick fix and make her big and strong like her pals?
Hopefully with some decent scran and a comfy home I may get a few eggs off them, preferrably in the nest boxes!
Anyway, just goes to prove, at least one of them is laying!

[MaureenHall]

If the chooks have been out of condition and/or stressed, it might have been an egg with a really thin shell that broke? Well that's the excuse I give my girls when they do it, and there's usually 2 or 3 a week

[Snadger]

If the chooks have been out of condition and/or stressed, it might have been an egg with a really thin shell that broke? Well that's the excuse I give my girls when they do it, and there's usually 2 or 3 a week

No, I managed to retrieve the two halves of the shell and it was a reasonably large egg with a thick brown shell. Naturally I took it out of the run as I didn't want the rest getting a taste for it. About half of the white and yolk was missing.

I've done a bit of work on the nest boxes today trying to darken the area a bit in the hope they will use them and I'll get three pot eggs (one for each) and hopefully this will give them the hint where to lay!
I did unmask both of the windows in the shed yesterday after having read they like to see the rising sun? I hope I haven't got to board the windows up again or else it will be that dark I won't be able to see inside!

[di]

With a bit of luck as it was in the run maybe it was broken accidently & they're none the wiser that a little peck or two is all it takes to break it.
We've not come across it as yet but all the "old school" advice we've been given is to wash out an egg shell,put mustard inside & then place in nestbox waiting for the culprit to come along~they'll soon forget the original nice taste!!
Best of luck& hope it's just a temporary glitch~on the bright side at least you know you've got a layer!!

[kirsty b]

Had to laugh at that Snadger!

When I first got mine, they would drop an egg wherever they happened to be in the run and it would sometimes get broken and eaten.
One of my latest girls from the June rescue must be coming back into lay, cos I have had some papery ones lately that have been broken and eaten, I have just found what was left of the slimy mess in the nest boxes. Luckily though I don't think I have any naughty girls breaking them on purpose.

Once they realise that they have a better home and settle in they may be less inclined to eat their eggs?

[lynda66]

well at least she doesn't need her bum sticking in an ice cold bucket of water

[roadkill]

get a few rubber eggs and leave them in the coop so the naughty one will start to peck them and get fed up ...

[Snadger]

Had to laugh at that Snadger!

When I first got mine, they would drop an egg wherever they happened to be in the run and it would sometimes get broken and eaten.
One of my latest girls from the June rescue must be coming back into lay, cos I have had some papery ones lately that have been broken and eaten, I have just found what was left of the slimy mess in the nest boxes. Luckily though I don't think I have any naughty girls breaking them on purpose.

Once they realise that they have a better home and settle in they may be less inclined to eat their eggs?

Sheeesh!!!! What an idiot I am.

It was mention of the slimy mess thats just got me thinking..........the egg I found in the run was HARD BOILED!
How the hell can a hen lay a hard boiled egg?
I can see dirty deeds afoot here! Some of my allotment neighbours must be taking the p*ss!

[MaureenHall]

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[HeyWayne]

The chook that was eating it is easily identifyable as she is the smallest and has a dark beak.

....and had egg all round her chops and a plate of soldiers under her wing.

[terrier]

If you find a pan of water and a gas ring in the coop, you'll know you have very intelligent chooks You'd better leave them some salt and pepper for seasoning and how about some snazzy chicky egg cups?

[frias]

You know, I love this website. I have just spent the last 10 minutes giggling.

[Tracey]

Snadger, that was so funny.

A friend if mine used to put a shop bought egg in the laying box of his neighbours chickens for weeks before they layed. Their neighbour was delighted and raved about the superior taste. When Christmas arrived he wrote Happy Christmas on the egg. She was not amused.

[Hans Mum]

Snadger....made me giggle, wish i could have seen your face when the penny dropped.......

[armadillo]

Have you mentioned it to your fellow allotment holders yet? If not, keep quiet and see which one asks you if you've had any eggs yet. You could always pretend there's been nothing - after all, they could've eaten the whole thing ad then you'd have been none the wiser.
Hard boiled