chickens eating their own eggs

[Tony Arriaga]

Hello my name is Tony and I have 6 chicken they start eating their eggs. What can I do about this issue??
. thank you all

 

[mlm Mike]

I never had that issue,so I'm not certain. Good luck!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi Tony and welcome to BYC - glad that you have joined us. I'd suggesting typing "Egg eating" in the search box and seeing what pops up.

All the best
CT

 

[drumstick diva]

Nice to meet you Tony. Egg eating is a hard habit to break. Some folks rehome their flock and just start over because if one is an egg eater the others will do the same. Some people get what are called "roll away nest boxes,". The egg rolls to another level and the hens may not see it.

 

[birdfreak1831]

Interesting topic, especially since I am puzzled about it myself. However, my situation doesn`t quite fit with others` experiences.

I was gifted with two old ladies and one teenage rooster six weeks ago.
Am delighted they like living together and with me. They are delightful little birds.
During these last six weeks we had two incidents of egg eating. I wasn`t expecting eggs from the sweet old ladies. But it turned out one of them lays two or three eggs a week, some of them shaped perfectly round [never saw a round egg before].
A month ago one of the eggs was eaten inside the coop - kind of a mess to clean up.
I started checking the coop for eggs and removing them. One day the hen who lays the eggs started pecking one open after I put it on the ground outside of the coop. The other hen and the cockerel joined in, and I watched in fascination as they ate the egg`s insides and some of the shell together.
Since that day I always put an egg on the ground to see if the chickens want to eat it, then if they don`t, I take it. They get first pick.
A week ago all three "ganged up" on an egg on the ground, pecking at it enthusiastically. They weren`t able to break it as before and lost interest in it.

I have no idea why they were able to peck one egg open to eat it but not another one....
I suspect they need it`s nutritional contents, the two hens at least, but that`s only my take on it.
Would be interested in hearing others` opinions.
What I do now is preparing eggs for the little ones to eat - I have boiled them and chopped them up or scrambled them, and they like to eat them both ways.

But I don`t think "killing" three eggs over a six-week period is a persistent problem.

birdfreak