[peggyprice]

How long does it take for a hen to lay an egg?  (sounds like the start of a joke, but I'm just curious!).

Been keeping my four under close scrutiny today to try and identify the egg eating culprit (yes, Dorothy, I know it was you ... the eggyolk on your beak was a definite giveaway... :roll: ) - and they each in turn seem to spend around 40 minutes or so sitting in the nest box before leaving an egg behind ...  seems like a long time to me when I'm waiting with bated breath to see if we've got another egg yet!  (bear with me - it's only been a fortnight.  I'm sure the excitement will wear off eventually, probably sometime round mid January when it's freezing, snowing and blowing a gale but I still have to go and check   )

[Aunt Sally]

40 mins sounds about right to me.

Bodger has a thread on here about egg eaters.  It might give you some ideas how to stop her.

[peggyprice]

Didn't realise it took so long!  

Mm, I've been reading Bodger's thread (and similar elsewhere) - have tried mustard and chilli paste, but she's done it again this morning (more egg yolk on her beak to confirm the culprit as well); next step will be a black curtain over the nest box (saw that tip on another forum); then maybe the plastic rollaway nest box inserts, and after that I'm at a loss.

Don't want to lose Dorothy 'cause she's got more character than any of the others (and she's the only one that lets me pick her up easily!), but don't want the habit to spread.

At the moment, she's not eating anyone else's eggs, just her own - and they have incredibly thin shells compared to the others.  She has the same access to grit, feed etc as the other three - any tips Aunt Sally?

[ness]

I had no idea I took so long either, one of my girls takes a couple of hours to produce (not that I'm complaining) it took me by surprise.  Not getting any eggs at the moment cos they are both broody  :?