Chickens eating eggs

[Johnsieber15]

My chickens eat their eggs. I know other chickens do it too, but I just want to know why they do it. :/

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

My chickens eat their eggs. I know other chickens do it too, but I just want to know why they do it.

Hi and

! There are a number of possible reasons hens might eat eggs, but ensuring that they have sufficient protein and calcium may help prevent it. Boredom is also cited in this article on how to stop egg eating: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater.

Best of luck with behavior modification.

 

[chickenweirdo1]

Do they have enough food? They do it a lot because they don't have enough protein, try giving them some scrambled eggs or some game bird food, fish meal, or some cat food. If they still don't stop get some golf balls or fake eggs and put those in there if they try to eat it they won't be able to and will stop.

 

[ejcrist]

My chickens eat their eggs. I know other chickens do it too, but I just want to know why they do it.

Another reason they do it is because they like them - tastes good and high protein. I had a couple that started doing it so I put those fake plastic eggs in their nest boxes and after a while they stopped eating the real ones. Occasionally I'll find the remains of an eaten egg but I think most times it's an egg that got accidentally cracked so they ate it of course. I put those pads they sell in the nest boxes which helps keep eggs from falling onto a hard surface and cracking. They seem to work pretty good.

 

[Johnsieber15]

My chickens get enough food to last them for weeks in their automatic feeder.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am going to use roll out nest boxes from the beginning.

Welcome to BYC

Gary from Idyllwild Ca here

Must. Finish. Coop.

 

[chickens really]

Layers need nothing less than 17% layer feed.....darken the coop and collect your eggs more often.....Once it starts it is almost impossible to stop.......cut back on treats......


Cheers!

 

[Johnsieber15]

I've never used treats, our coop is pitch black,

 

[brandymulvaine]

One of our hens was doing the same thing, eating her egg then chasing other hens away to eat their eggs, I put her in a "time out" cage for a few weeks at least that way she was only eating her eggs. The cage was left in the coop so she wasn't left alone, but boy did she hate being stuck in there! She got food and water but no freedom, after a couple of weeks my friend(and business partner) took pity on her and let her out, so far she's behaved herself. We tried fake eggs, and mustard eggs but that didn't stop her. Keeping my fingers crossed

 

[TrishM]

Glad to hear the isolation might have stopped her. I just put a live-feed security camera in the coop to find out who's eating eggs. It appears to be one of my EE's, and a Wyandotte joins in too. So frustrating to watch them eating eggs while I'm at work!! I'll try isolating the EE and see what happens. I too have tried everything else... except my coop is far from dark in the daytime.