Crap. I found the remains of an egg today.

[MontanaChickDoc]

I was able to figure out a couple of egg eating hens by looking for dried yolk on their face feathers and nostril holes.

 

[RcoM]

Hello all! I've searched and read several threads on here and I'm sorry if I missed the one with the relevant information for me. I have a rooster, 2 laying hens and 4 pullets, at least one of which has begun to lay. Today I looked in the nesting boxes and found a wet spot. Closer examination revealed the remains of an egg yolk, and one or more chickens had clearly cleaned up the bits of shell plus whatever other remains they could get their beaks on.

Everything I've read on here while searching indicates that once a hen learns to eat eggs, she won't stop and furthermore will likely teach the others to do the same. I work full time during the day and I'm single right now so it's quite difficult to get eyes on who might be eating eggs. What is the best next step?

Hi there, I know people says it's continuos but I don't find that it is. If a frail shell breaks, they eat it. Secondly if a hen is about to go broody OR not getting enough nutrition, I find she will build herself up with some egg and then stop when she feels good. Try supplementing their diet with some vitamins and putting in wooden eggs. Collect as early as possible. I have not had a continuous problem – only an occasional problem and it is usually corrected by adding other interesting food options into the coop, upping their nutrition and distracting them away from the eggs. For me, it is frequently followed by the same hen going broody. My sister-in-law has found the same thing with her hen. She will even eat some of the eggs while on the nest being broody and then just stop and incubate the rest.