A Big Problem With All Of My Hens

[GuineaLady93]

I have 10 really great hens that are great layers, there is only one problem... They eat their eggs as soon as they lay them. If one goes in the coop to lay, 3-5 will follow them and just watch them until they lay the egg and then they all jump on the egg and eat it in seconds. My question is, is there anything I can do to stop them from eating the eggs??? I really want to keep them. I know I can't sell them because they will make their hens eat eggs too.
So, any advice?

Thanks,
Ashley

 

[math ace]

Has anything changed recently?
Have you added or removed birds?
Have you changed the set up for the nesting boxes?
I have had some birds start eating eggs when something changes and stress them out.


Are they getting to free range? If so, how much...
I have had other birds start eating eggs if they were bored and did not get to free range.


Are the eggs being laid normal or are they so then that they are cracking?
I have had girls who lay thin eggs that accidently get broke buy the next hen that trys to lay in that nest.... THEN evey one wants a piece of the broken egg.

You will need to identify who is doing what.... You may just have one naughty girl that is starting it and then every one joins in. Lots of variables cause egg eating. In each of the above scenarios.... Once I fixed the problem, the egg eating stopped.

 

[breeder]

Do u mean a chicken houses? If so have your chickens been vaccine,dewormed, ect...

 

[GuineaLady93]

Has anything changed recently? No
Have you added or removed birds? No
Have you changed the set up for the nesting boxes? No
I have had some birds start eating eggs when something changes and stress them out.


Are they getting to free range? No, they don't free range. If so, how much...
I have had other birds start eating eggs if they were bored and did not get to free range.


Are the eggs being laid normal or are they so then that they are cracking? They are normal.
I have had girls who lay thin eggs that accidently get broke buy the next hen that trys to lay in that nest.... THEN evey one wants a piece of the broken egg.

You will need to identify who is doing what....They all do it, I have seen at least 4 of them break the egg. (I couldn't get to them and stop them) You may just have one naughty girl that is starting it and then every one joins in. Lots of variables cause egg eating. In each of the above scenarios.... Once I fixed the problem, the egg eating stopped.

 

[GuineaLady93]

Do u mean a chicken houses? If so have your chickens been vaccine,dewormed, ect...

What?

 

[math ace]

How big of a space do you have them in?

Have the hens ALWAYS ate their eggs?

How old are the girls?

How dark is the laying area?


OBTW, there have been others that have posted this type of problem and have tried things like filling the eggs will nasty hot stuff. That way when they break the egg open and eat teh contents, it becomes a nasty experience. I've never PERSONALLY done this before, so I don't know how well it works.

I ask all the questions that I do because PERSONALLY any egg eating issues I have had have been resolved once I figured out why the hens were acting out....

 

[GuineaLady93]

How big of a space do you have them in? They are in a 250- 300 square foot pen and then they have their coop.

Have the hens ALWAYS ate their eggs? No, I think it started when one broke on accident.

How old are the girls? They go from 1 year up to about 3.

How dark is the laying area? It's not dark, they have windows.


OBTW, there have been others that have posted this type of problem and have tried things like filling the eggs will nasty hot stuff. That way when they break the egg open and eat teh contents, it becomes a nasty experience. I've never PERSONALLY done this before, so I don't know how well it works.

I ask all the questions that I do because PERSONALLY any egg eating issues I have had have been resolved once I figured out why the hens were acting out....

 

[math ace]

Try to darken the windows.... tape cardboard over them or something like that.

Hens like to feel ultra safe when laying eggs. They don't like to lay them in the open, bright places.

It may help, it may not.... BUT if no one else suggests something, it is worth a try.

 

[HEChicken]

Once an egg-eater, always an egg-eater. After all, they are pretty yummy - that's why WE want them! As I see it, you have only 2 options:
1) cull the flock and start over, or
2) build roll-out nests. If you do a search on the forum you should find plenty of info and even blueprints for building. Basically it is a nest built on enough of a slope that as soon as the egg is laid, it rolls into a chamber that the chickens themselves cannot reach.

 

[math ace]

HEADS up... I am having an egg eating issue right now. I thought the hens were cracking the eggs, BUT have discovered that the squirrels are doing it. The hens get involved AFTER the squirrels crack the eggs open. NOW, we are squirrel hunting.

In the meantime, If I collect the eggs every couple of hours, the problem is eliminated. The eggs are only being messed with in the coops where I have Rubbermaid tubs serving as laying boxes outside of the coops. With the coops that have laying boxes enclosed in the coop the eggs are not being messed with at all.