Chickens ate their own eggs this morning, need some insight:

[Mass Mike]

Here's my story, please lend some insight if you can
So, last night, I accidently left two chickens in the run when I locked the rest in the coop (The run is very secure, but I choose to lock them in the coop at night anyway)
So, I go out this morning and find them out there in the run. I let the other 5 out of the coop and it's then that I see two eggs that were layed during the night on the floor of the run. The other 5 chickens went straight for them and broke them open and started eating them. I do not keep any food in the coop, just the run, and the chickens usually feast as soon as the run is open in the am. They had access to the eggs for about 10 seconds before I was able to get into the coop and shoo them away. I immediatly scooped sand (the run floor is sand) over the eggs and got a hose going and washed the remaining egg away, then covered with more sand. The chickens were hovering around the area where the eggs were. Then I had to leave for work so I couldn't observe their behavior further.
now...since they got a taste of their eggs...are future eggs laid in jeopardy of the same fate? Eggs are normally laid in the nesting boxes in the coop, to find them in the run is rare. Is this kind of a "wait and see" scenario? Is there anything I can do proactively to prevent them from eating future eggs?

Any advice, insight, tips would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Judy]

IME, eating an egg now and then does not lead to the habit of egg eating -- which is really breaking eggs open to eat them. I've had this flock for about 3 years, it's I think my 5th flock, and I've never had a true egg eating flock, although I've seen them eat an accidentally broken egg many times. I once read on a thread about what people do with a really poopy egg, that an experienced chicken keeper always throws them down on the ground to break them for the chickens to eat. He also said he's never had a true egg eating flock. So, yes, I'd certainly go with the "wait and see" approach.

If you ever do get a flock who consistently breaks and eats their eggs, there is an article in our learning center about how to deal with this. There are a few tricks that may stop the habit -- or, failing that, you modify or replace your nests so the eggs roll out of reach when laid.

 

[Mass Mike]

Thanks, Judy..this sets me at ease a bit....this is my first flock...I was a bit taken back by how vigorously they went at those eggs.

 

[aggiemae]

Hen's that eat eggs in the next box are problematic. But since chickens do most things by rote, eating eggs in the run, where they expect to be fed probably isn't going to be a problem.