Chickens eating eggs???

[down on the farm]

We are kinda new to this chicken thing. I love them to death and they make me happy, even though they have not been laying very much (maybe 1 a week and there are 7 hens). We are not big egg eaters, but I wanted the chickens to add to the farm-ness of our place and help out with the pests. So, we let the chickens out of the coop for the first time since being at our place (for 3 months) and as we were persuading them (ha ha ha! that was funny!) to go back in before dark one of the hens laid an egg and the others swarmed to eat it up and chased each other for the shell. should I be worried and is that why we don't find any eggs? they are not aggressive about eating the eggs or for anything else. curious!!

 

[scgamecock]

They need calcium.Give them crushed oyster shell and they will quit eating them.BTW chickens love the taste of their eggs.

 

[BikerBabeRules]

I recently had 2 egg eating hens, i caught them red handed. I gave them to a local farmer who is going to make soup with them. I have TONS of eggs now, since the day after their departure.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

If they have been eating the eggs they have a taste for them and you need to take more measures than just feeding calcium. You need to collect the eggs frequently-hopefully before they get them. Putting golf balls or fake eggs into the nest boxes may help. It will teach them where to lay plus they will sometimes peck at these and find they can't break them. Plus if they are pecking at the golf balls they won't be bothering the eggs. I would recommend you getting on this immediately. The longer it goes on the harder it is to break them of it.

Good luck!

 

[down on the farm]

Thanks!! It is just hard for us to catch them or get the eggs soon enough b/c we are not there. I will def. try the golf ball thing though!!