Eating eggs problem

[oshilo88]

Just noticed a couple of days ago that some hens started eating eggs. I tried everything already. Ceramic eggs, extra protein( they always have), filling an egg with a mustartd, pinless peepers... and still the same problem. I saw only 3 hens were doing this. I have 60 girls. I'm just worried that they'll teach the others to do that can this issue be resolved? Or they won't stop doing it when they already tried it .
I'm gathering eggs like every 30 minutes while I'm at home. And whenever I'm there, those 3 hens are always in the nesting boxes... Yesterday my husband saw a Barnevelder running around with a whole egg shell, inside was already empty (only a smale hole) and as soon as she dropped it, the rest were trying to eat the shell.
I added pictures from today, look like someone already made holes in the eggs.
Looking forward for some suggestions. Thank you in advance

 

[oshilo88]

Forgot to add. I just bought 20 new hens about 2 weeks ago. And those 3 are from that group. They're all 7 months old. The lady, I bought them from, was keeping them in a coop, and I doubt that the eggs were collected every day. When I was there, there were many eggs in the nesting boxes.

 

[RoxReck]

Just noticed a couple of days ago that some hens started eating eggs. I tried everything already. Ceramic eggs, extra protein( they always have), filling an egg with a mustartd, pinless peepers... and still the same problem. I saw only 3 hens were doing this. I have 60 girls. I'm just worried that they'll teach the others to do that can this issue be resolved? Or they won't stop doing it when they already tried it .
I'm gathering eggs like every 30 minutes while I'm at home. And whenever I'm there, those 3 hens are always in the nesting boxes... Yesterday my husband saw a Barnevelder running around with a whole egg shell, inside was already empty (only a smale hole) and as soon as she dropped it, the rest were trying to eat the shell.
I added pictures from today, look like someone already made holes in the eggs.
Looking forward for some suggestions. Thank you in advance

I had this problem too! Form what I've researched, if they eat the eggs, they are craving calcium. So, what I do is every once in a while, I save the shells from when we eat eggs. I crush them up and feed it to them. Since I've been doing this, I haven't had the problem of them eating their own eggs.

 

[oshilo88]

I had this problem too! Form what I've researched, if they eat the eggs, they are craving calcium. So, what I do is every once in a while, I save the shells from when we eat eggs. I crush them up and feed it to them. Since I've been doing this, I haven't had the problem of them eating their own eggs.

Thank you. I'll buy them extra calcium also. Maybe they sell liquid one. I do crush the shells up and feed to my girls too. But still can find a soft shell egg from time to time

 

[Smileybans]

My girls started eating their eggs awhile back when one spilled the egg basket. They haven’t stopped since. They have free access to oyster grit and i used to give them crushed egg shells. To get my girls to stop i had to convert my nest boxes into rollaway nest boxes. My hens were kicking the eggs out of the boxes and eating them on the coop floor. Now that the eggs roll away after they‘re laid they cant get to them to kick them out.

 

[oshilo88]

My girls started eating their eggs awhile back when one spilled the egg basket. They haven’t stopped since. They have free access to oyster grit and i used to give them crushed egg shells. To get my girls to stop i had to convert my nest boxes into rollaway nest boxes. My hens were kicking the eggs out of the boxes and eating them on the coop floor. Now that the eggs roll away after they‘re laid they cant get to them to kick them out.

That's what I'm worried about. That my girls won't stop once they tried

 

[Smileybans]

Is a rollaway nest box an option for you?

 

[oshilo88]

Is a rollaway nest box an option for you?

It is an option. Just need a few of them I guess. I have 60 chickens, and 24 nesting boxes right now

 

[Smileybans]

It is an option. Just need a few of them I guess. I have 60 chickens, and 24 nesting boxes right now

There are some DIY options on here and online. I‘m not sure if building or buying would be the cheaper way to go for you but i was able to convert my current nest box into a rollaway. Mine was six boxes mounted to the wall of the coop. I took the boxes down and mounted stilts on the front. Then screwed the back to the coop wall. I added a box to the front of the nest boxes to catch the eggs and it actually worked out.

 

[oshilo88]

There are some DIY options on here and online. I‘m not sure if building or buying would be the cheaper way to go for you but i was able to convert my current nest box into a rollaway. Mine was six boxes mounted to the wall of the coop. I took the boxes down and mounted stilts on the front. Then screwed the back to the coop wall. I added a box to the front of the nest boxes to catch the eggs and it actually worked out.

Thank you. That is actually an awesome idea! I'll ask my husband to try that