Chicken eating her own egg

[ibrahimzuberi]

Hi, I have one hen who is eating her own egg, although she always have ample of food & water but may be accidentally she started this bad habit, now I like to know if beak clip can help to stop her eating her own eggs?

I seen pictures on net where people put a straight plastic strip through hen nostrils, what is the exact advantage of doing it

 

[azygous]

You may not actually have an egg eater. Have you examined the quality of the shell of the egg remains you find? If it's very thin, she could be laying the egg, then stepping on it, breaking it, then, as all chickens will do, eat the broken egg contents.

No, trimming the beak does nothing to solve this issue. What you are referring to with the "plastic strip" through the beak is a device that blocks forward vision of the chicken so they are less likely to peck at other chickens. This also does nothing to solve the egg eating issue.

What I recommend is calcium therapy to treat the thin shell problem so you won't be seeing broken eggs. Calcium citrate with D3 400mg one tablet a day until the eggs are normal again.

 

[ibrahimzuberi]

thank you for valuable advise, I will do this calcium therapy.

Well as far as the egg shell is concern it is very much intact, she made a hole and leave nothing inside. a half year ago I had a pair which also started to eat eggs so I consumed them as portly meat and bring new hens, but suddenly one hen started this mess and I dont want this to spread out in the whole nest so I though that putting a beak clip might help.

 

[aart]

Well as far as the egg shell is concern it is very much intact

But are the shells thick and hard.....or thin and fragile?

If shells are thick and hard, then it could be a nutrition deficiency.
What and how exactly are you feeding?
What is the protein and calcium percentages in the feed you use?

 

[ibrahimzuberi]

Shell is hard, and I am not sure about the protein and calcium % in the feed, because I buy ready made feed from the market and along with it I provide grains like wheat, millet and crushed corns on the top of the feed. For proteins I try few mixed lintels but chickens does not like to have it so they leave it.

 

[aart]

Shell is hard, and I am not sure about the protein and calcium % in the feed, because I buy ready made feed from the market and along with it I provide grains like wheat, millet and crushed corns on the top of the feed. For proteins I try few mixed lintels but chickens does not like to have it so they leave it.

Where in the world are you located?
I'm guessing not in the USA, where by law feed nutrient levels must be on the bag.
Knowing your bird overall nutrient levels might help you solve this egg eating issue.....
...or you just have 'bad habit' birds worthy only of your soup pot.

 

[ibrahimzuberi]

Yes I am not from US, and there is no identification of nutrient levels mentioned on the bag. But I will try to find calcium that you mentioned before and add it for the birds.

Thank you for sharing this useful information.

 

[aart]

Yes I am not from US, and there is no identification of nutrient levels mentioned on the bag. But I will try to find calcium that you mentioned before and add it for the birds.

Thank you for sharing this useful information.

It's not just calcium,
but the other nutrients that help them absorb and apply the calcium,
and keeps them in good overall health.

 

[Beer can]

I've heard of people filling eggs with mustard to stop egg eating. I've had best luck stopping egg eating just by upping their protein, read egg eating can be from protein deficiency. Works for me.
Your adding "wheat, millet and crushed corns" to their commercial feed is likely lowering their protein intake.