CHICKENS EATING OWN EGGS!!!! HELP!!!!

[Chicken-Man]

G'day,
I have had little egg eating problems but it didn't last long. And I have caught the girls eating the white, clear part of an egg but not yolk, my Dad said it was like a clearance or whatever, any way, I went egg collecting and only found one egg (witch is very unusual) and the next day non, then today I found half an egg. I ripped it all away and I know it wont stop easy. So my first question, if they are eating it is it bad for them? Or for their health?? and 2 how to I quickly and easily stop this??!!! please!

Thanks -Live Long And Prosper and May the Force be with You!

 

[roostersandhens]

The eggs shouldn't hurt them. Buy wooden eggs and put them in the nest, they will peck the wood eggs, and get no treat, and learn not to eat eggs.
Good Luck!

 

[ChicknsRock]

Welcome to BYC!

x2 on roostersandhens's advice.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Try hanging something over the nest box to darken it. Also do an on site search on "Egg Eating" - several threads should come up with good advice. Stop this bad habit immediately.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Chicken-Man]

Thank you all very much!!!!

 

[TwoCrows]

Hi there,

and welcome to BYC!

Also you might try to collect the eggs as soon as possible so the birds have less time to crack them open and eat them.

Good luck with your flock and enjoy BYC!

 

[Beekissed]

G'day,
I have had little egg eating problems but it didn't last long. And I have caught the girls eating the white, clear part of an egg but not yolk, my Dad said it was like a clearance or whatever, any way, I went egg collecting and only found one egg (witch is very unusual) and the next day non, then today I found half an egg. I ripped it all away and I know it wont stop easy. So my first question, if they are eating it is it bad for them? Or for their health?? and 2 how to I quickly and easily stop this??!!! please!

Thanks -Live Long And Prosper and May the Force be with You!

Are you from down unda?

At times in a chicken's laying cycle and during the year they will have thinner shells and this makes them easily broken, then the chickens will eat them to clean up the nests. It's a natural thing and nothing to be worried about. If you are feeding a regular laying ration that has adequate calcium in it, then it's the time of year....if you are in Australia, this is mid summer for you and they may be preparing to molt, hence the thin shells. If so, this will pass with time...just wait a bit and your egg eaters will turn into regular chickens again when calcium is not being diverted to feather growth.

If you are not in Australia and your chickens are not coming into or in the middle of molt, then you may look into the calcium levels in your feed and see if it's enough or if they are absorbing what they need because chickens rarely, if ever, peck open and eat a strong shelled egg. Nor do they usually get crushed when the birds climb in and out of the nests.

If you have new pullets just coming into lay their shells may be thinner and easily broken, and this could be a factor. If you have nest boxes that are too crowded with eggs that they have to climb in and over, this could be a factor.

It's very rarely that a chicken or a flock of chickens all just decide to start eating all the eggs. Look for the problem behind the problem...do your eggs have thin, brittle shells? That's usually the chief cause of egg eating...loading an egg, placing fake ones, etc. will not cause thin shells to go away. Time can make them go away, hormonal and dietary changes can make them go away.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! The BYC Learning Center also has a good article on stopping egg eaters. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!