Chickens won’t stop eating eggs

[McChooky]

Keep the soap eggs up, it could just be a bad habit.

Yes left uncorrected they will still eat them.Rollaway nest boxes are the surest cure

 

[Mother of Chaos]

it’s 17% protein. This is from their website:

• Chicken feed contain vitamins, minerals, and the amino acids your flock needs to thrive.
• Prebiotics, probiotics, and toxin binders support your barnyard buddies’ digestive and immune health.
• Included essential oils, kelp, and zeolite have antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes that encourage your chicks’ immune health.
• It’s made with an organic blend of flower extracts that promote vibrant egg yolks.
• Organic micro pellets are formulated without corn or soy and contain natural vitamin E for easier absorption.

Check the ingredients label: do you see any sources of animal protein? (fish meal, mealworms, etc.) Sometimes they seem to need more than just plant protein. As I understand it, some amino acids in plant proteins aren't as bioavailable? - or some other limiting factor.

If you aren't vegetarian or vegan yourself, you might consider offering sardines, ground beef, etc. They don't need a lot, but mine go wild for it. (Chickens are omnivores, and in some ways obligate carnivores. Human food choices don't always work well for them.) Another option might be to hard boil eggs, chop them up and offer them, and don't think too closely about it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How about increasing the protein in their feed? Go to a 20% all-flock or grower feed with the oyster shell on the side and see if that helps. Also, how many fake eggs or golf balls do you have in each nest? If only one, make it harder for them. Put half a dozen golf balls in each nest. If they smack their beaks on a few golf balls they may think twice about their little game. Also can you make the nests smaller? You say several chickens are in the nest waiting for an egg to pop out. Arrange it so there's only room for one hen in a nest at a time. Put some bricks or something in there. And keep gathering eggs every hour or so, or as soon as you hear the "egg song." Don't despair, this last one is not a long-term activity. If you can keep them from eating eggs for a couple of weeks I think your life can pretty much go back to normal - but keep those golf balls in the nests!

 

[zalena]

Keep the soap eggs up, it could just be a bad habit.

Okay we’ll do that. Thanks!

 

[zalena]

Check the ingredients label: do you see any sources of animal protein? (fish meal, mealworms, etc.) Sometimes they seem to need more than just plant protein. As I understand it, some amino acids in plant proteins aren't as bioavailable? - or some other limiting factor.

If you aren't vegetarian or vegan yourself, you might consider offering sardines, ground beef, etc. They don't need a lot, but mine go wild for it. (Chickens are omnivores, and in some ways obligate carnivores. Human food choices don't always work well for them.) Another option might be to hard boil eggs, chop them up and offer them, and don't think too closely about it.

Okay well try that too!

 

[SJsChickies]

Hi everyone,

We added 3 chickens to our established flock last fall. We’ve never had egg eating problems until one of the newbies started eating eggs and taught it to the others. Of our 9 chickens, we think 7 are engaging in this.

We feed them high-quality feed and treats, and have oyster shells available.

We’ve put blinders on the first egg eater, have put fake wooden eggs in their nesting boxes, and have switched to roll away boxes. Nothing has worked. They seem to be getting more aggressive about it.

My husband witnessed a few chickens standing on/around one of the hens who was about to lay an egg and they pounced on it the second she laid it (before it could roll away).

We aren’t sure what to do/try next and are becoming frustrated.

How's the egg eating going? I have one I think might be eating her eggs and I need to nip it in the bud!

 

[zalena]

How's the egg eating going? I have one I think might be eating her eggs and I need to nip it in the bud!

For the most part it has stopped. We did chicken blinders, soap eggs, mustard eggs, fake wooden eggs, golf balls, oyster shells for calcium, sardines for extra protein, and got roll-away nesting boxes

 

[SJsChickies]

For the most part it has stopped. We did chicken blinders, soap eggs, mustard eggs, fake wooden eggs, golf balls, oyster shells for calcium, sardines for extra protein, and got roll-away nesting boxes

Oh no you had to do it ALL?! I’m not 100% certain she’s eating them. She’s a new layer and it’s been over 102• for the last week straight so she may just be on a long break. But she laid a soft shell one in the middle of the run this past weekend and they were eating it so now I’m worried that I haven’t gotten an egg from her since that one on Saturday, because she’s gobbling down on them lol.

 

[zalena]

Oh no you had to do it ALL?! I’m not 100% certain she’s eating them. She’s a new layer and it’s been over 102• for the last week straight so she may just be on a long break. But she laid a soft shell one in the middle of the run this past weekend and they were eating it so now I’m worried that I haven’t gotten an egg from her since that one on Saturday, because she’s gobbling down on them lol.

Since they got the taste for it, it’s definitely possible. Such a bummer and super frustrating.

 

[welderskelter]

sounds like a lot of chicken and noodles to me.