Chickens Eating Eggs

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1cshook

1cshook

Chirping
Sep 15, 2015
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My 6 month old Marans have been laying for the last couple of weeks ... every now and then I discover that they have eaten or pecked a hole in an egg ... how can I stop/deter this behavior? Thanks!
 
If you can, try to figure out who the egg eater is - that is a behavior that chickens can learn from others, so removing the culprit will sometimes work. Some people have had luck with ceramic eggs, collect eggs often throughout the day so that only the ceramic ones are left in the nest. The rock hard eggs will sometimes deter pecking.
 
Do the eggs they are eating have very hard shells?

A soft or thin shelled egg is easily broken,
then it's fair game for eating and will not necessarily lead to an egg eating habit.

Can be common when first starting to lay to have thin and/or soft shells and/or curiosity pecks.

Make sure they are getting good protein and calcium levels.
Have oyster shell in a separate container available at all times,
don't dilute the protein in their regular feed with too many other foods.

1muttsfan has offered some good solutions.

Roll away nests can be a definite solution,
eggs filled with various substances are usually just a mess maker.
 
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It may be difficult to single out (hopefully only one!) the culprit ... I am retired, so I do collect eggs numerous times throughout the day ... that said, I only have 6 hens and they have just been laying for about a month now! I have tried the ceramic egg, but I took it out since it seemed to scare the hens away from the nest and they started laying on the ground!
Thanks for your input.
 
1cshook said:
It may be difficult to single out (hopefully only one!) the culprit ... I am retired, so I do collect eggs numerous times throughout the day ... that said, I only have 6 hens and they have just been laying for about a month now! I have tried the ceramic egg, but I took it out since it seemed to scare the hens away from the nest and they started laying on the ground!
Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...
Do you only have one nest?
2 might be better for 6 hens.
Maybe sneak the ceramic egg in there after they have laid?
 
My rooster went after a freshly laid soft shell one of my new layers just (literally) plopped out on the run ground. I was in there, shooed him away, brought it inside, cooked it, and brought it back out. I'm out there pretty often between cleaning, checking on, watering, feed, checking for eggs if I know one was in there working on laying one. I just started giving mine oyster shells since a couple are laying more regular now. I have 1 that has yet to lay with a shell, but mine just leave the shell ones alone. I have 7 nesting boxes (1 storage bin that they decided to claim as theirs, 3 laundry baskets they love, and 3 organizer bins they love) and 2 nesting/roosting shelves for my 10 hens. I eventually want to build some boxes, but they love what they have for now. If you don't have choices for nesting boxes I'd try that and see if it makes a difference.
 
I have 3 nesting boxes for the 6 hens ... they seem to be undecided on whether they'd rather use them or the ground! I figure what happens, happens! I plan on trying the ceramic egg again and, if that doesn't work, so be it!
 
I have 2 laying boxes, but the girls seem undecided which box to use OR just lay on the ground! I plan on trying the ceramic egg again ... if it works, great ... if not, so be it!
 
1cshook said:
I have 3 nesting boxes for the 6 hens ... they seem to be undecided on whether they'd rather use them or the ground! I figure what happens, happens! I plan on trying the ceramic egg again and, if that doesn't work, so be it!
Click to expand...
Sometimes with chickens, it's just watch and wait....trial and tribulation/exultation.

Best of cLuck to ya!
 
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