Silly Chuckie

[becks77]

We had a death in the hen house, she just decided she'd had enough and popped off her perch. We left it a couple of days to make sure it wasn't a catching illness and the other one would be OK...and she was. So I got her a new friend to keep her company and they actually get on really well, I had thought there might be more pecking order etc. but no.
Anyway, new little chuckie has just laid her first egg ...hooray, then eaten it...boo
Silly chuckie! Is there a real reason why they do this or just feel like it?

[Millymollymandy]

Sorry about your old hen! Did you notice if this eggshell was particularly brittle, or soft? I think sometimes the eggs of newbies can be a bit brittle, and they certainly get like that when they are getting towards the end of their laying days - and that's when my original girls started eating their own eggs, cos they were just so easy to break.

When we got some new hens and they started laying it all stopped (their eggs weren't brittle). So I dunno the answer really cos you'd think that once they'd got a taste for it (and boy did they go for them and fast!!! ) they'd do their best to break the harder shelled ones, but no!

[Thomzo]

Yes, it's a common problem and definitely a habit you want to break. If possible whip the egg out before she gets a chance to eat it.

First eggs are often a bit soft so she may give up when the eggs are harder.

Is there plenty of soft bedding in the nest box? It makes it harder for them to break the shell if it sinks into the bedding as they try.

If it continues you can buy little plastic beak bumpers that you put over the beak to stop them breaking the eggs or you can nip the end of the beak off.

Zoe

[becks77]

Thanks for your replies, I'll try to keep a close eye on her, there's loads of soft bedding so that should help too,