Widgeon
Well-Known Member
When we let the chickens out this morning we discovered two eggs in the run, both with their tops broken open and contents very much missing - no sticky goo on the floor etc. The shells were intact other than where they'd been opened to get at the insides. Chickens are six months old, have only just started laying reliably, and are usually deeply suspicious of edibles other than those coming out of a bag labelled "layer pellets".
I'm terrified that they've started eating their own eggs - but the sensible part of me thinks it's much more likely the dopey chickens laid them outside yesterday, we didn't spot them when we locked up in the evening, and a rat or squirrel helped itself overnight. I've got no reason to think they're lacking calcium and they've never shown the slightest interest in pecking at any of the eggs they've laid in the nest boxes.
Someone come and give me a digital reassuring pat on the back, please!! And, any ideas how I can encourage the daft things NOT to lay outside in the first place? Or at least, not on the floor. I thought about an outside nest box but I don't really want to encourage them. I suspect it's only one hen who's doing this.
I'm terrified that they've started eating their own eggs - but the sensible part of me thinks it's much more likely the dopey chickens laid them outside yesterday, we didn't spot them when we locked up in the evening, and a rat or squirrel helped itself overnight. I've got no reason to think they're lacking calcium and they've never shown the slightest interest in pecking at any of the eggs they've laid in the nest boxes.
Someone come and give me a digital reassuring pat on the back, please!! And, any ideas how I can encourage the daft things NOT to lay outside in the first place? Or at least, not on the floor. I thought about an outside nest box but I don't really want to encourage them. I suspect it's only one hen who's doing this.
