Egg eaters!

[rainbowhatchery]

Great info, calcium, we also use porcel eggs. I had an issue just a couple weeks ago and I moved my nesting boxes up to a height the birds had to fly up to them as opposed to be able to walk right in and that worked for me. Must have been when the birds walked passed and saw an egg whichever one was doing it got the egg. By moving them up the hens fly up there to lay but then dont see the eggs when walking around onlyl when they fly up there to lay, about waist high. It was a last ditch effort for me but has been working for a couple weeks. I guess the see no evil thing if they dont see a pile of eggs as they are walking past they dont think to fly up and peck at them.

 

[Magpie1]

There is an egg eater in my coop. I have put porcelain eggs in the nesting boxes and the hens roll them right out. Since I caught one who swooped in to eat an egg that was freshly laid, and I mean within seconds, she has to be culled. Also, she is 2 years old and has stopped laying, either because of age or molting. My hens have plenty of calcium, grit and good quality feed. Plus, they are able to free-range during the day. I think the way it began is that one of the other hens occasionally lays a shell-less egg. She's a big NHR and probably broke it while in the box, which I have seen happen. I can only guess the egg eater (Barred Rock/Maran) was next in line to lay and, voila, breakfast!