I have a hen that is laying every second day and not long after laying them she eats them! Can someone PLEASE tell me why she is doing this. Is she deficient in calcium maybe??

There can be all sorts of reasons, a first timer not uderstanding what to do with these eggs, it might be becuase she is too young or if you haven't had her a long time she might have seen this behaviour in her past. If she isn't with a mate then she is simply laying beause you have offered a nesting site and started her cycling and so she might be eating them becuase of stress. If your in a coleny breeding set up she might be getting bothered by other hens or even males sometimes either for the nest box or courtship/mating.

 

You can get egg eaters in budgies and if you find you have be a bit sneaky to have any eggs from the pair hatch, that is you need a second pair set up and move the eggs to the other nest. Budgies are happy enough to take extra eggs as their own.

 

Now the big question: are you sure it is her that is eating them?

If you have other pairs breeding try this.

 

Drill a hole in the nest box concave large enough for an egg to pass through. Place some sawdust or thoer soft material under the nest box. When she lays the egg it will safely fall through the hole in to the sawdust and you can foster it to another breeding pair or an incubator.

 

If you don't have another pair or an incubator. Take the egg away from her as soon as she lays it. Replace it with a porcilin egg. She will quickly get frustrated in trying to break and eat the fake egg. You may need to do this a few times until she gets the idea

If you have other pairs breeding try this.

 

Drill a hole in the nest box concave large enough for an egg to pass through. Place some sawdust or thoer soft material under the nest box. When she lays the egg it will safely fall through the hole in to the sawdust and you can foster it to another breeding pair or an incubator.

 

If you don't have another pair or an incubator. Take the egg away from her as soon as she lays it. Replace it with a porcilin egg. She will quickly get frustrated in trying to break and eat the fake egg. You may need to do this a few times until she gets the idea

 

Thanks for the advise, I am pleased to report that she finally stopped eating her eggs, laid 4 more, and at this stage we have two cute little chicks with two more due in a few days. So it will be interesting when she lays again if she does the same thing.