Eating their own eggs

[Russo's Roost]

My five almost 2 year old hens are not laying many eggs lately, I am lucky to get 5 a week. I know they are laying more but they are eating them befor I can get them out of the box.

The problem is their shells are thin,they lay the egg in the egg box and peck at it to get it under their chest and end up breaking the shell,then they have to clean themselves and end up liking the taste sothey now wait for one of thhens to lay an egg so they can attack it.

I know I have to get the shells harder so they can't do that as easily ut inteh meanwhile does anyone have an idea as to how I can stop them of eating their own eggs other then spending the morning with them in the coop and grabing them as soon as they are laid.

I just bought a bag of gamebird feed that is 22% protein instead of the 17% protein I had been feeding them and they have oyster shell free choice all the time and I put ACV (apple cider vinegar) (eatyour heart out Rachel Rae EVOO) in their water, a couple of them are molting right now.

Thanks for any suggestions

 

[TigerLilly]

How much calcium are they getting? Protein is great, but the calcium helps with the eggshells being harder/firmer. I feed mine their eggshells back to them after I eat the eggs.
I don't know how to break a chicken from eating its own eggs, but I'm sure someone else will chime in on that.

 

[Judy]

The only solution I know of that actually works, and only if they lay in the nest boxes, is putting in rollaway nest boxes.

 

[Russo's Roost]

Quote:
Thanks for teh reply.

I have heard of feeding their egg shells back tothem how do you do that, do you break them into tiny pieces or what?

They have a cup of oyster shell right nest to their food trough that I keep full for them and I always mix a bout a pint in with 10 pounds of their egg maker crumbles.