⠀ Egg eaters Due to nutritional deficiencies

[anachickie]

Ive heard that chickens will eat eggs due to a nutritional deficiency. Any reaserch on this out there?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Egg eating usually begins with a broken egg that they sample and find how good they taste.
If there is an imbalance of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D3, then thin shells can result and eggs can be easily broken.
Contrary to popular opinion, it isn't a need for protein since eggs are only 12% protein and chicken feed is higher.

 

[MorganC]

Correct, ChickenCanoe.
I haven't seen any studies done on it other that what I have seen just in my own backyard.
Sometimes it can be nutritional but sometimes it can be just habitual. I have seen and heard of many hens that get a taste for egg and will continue to eat them whether they need to or not.
Once you get an egg eater......it is near IMPOSSIBLE to get them to stop.

 

[Tikalchicks]

I have a 3 year old naked neck hen who not only eats her eggs but eggs of any other hen.she evens rolls her egg out of the coop to break it open.I've tried different feed,separating her from the others but she still does it.any suggestions?

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

Breaking the egg eating habbit is very difficult. Try picking up the eggs early in the morining and often throughout the day will help and may break the cycle. If not, you may have to isolate the one hen that is the problem.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
Separate her before she teaches the others.
Add fake eggs to the nest and when she can't break the eggs, she may give up.
You may have to cull.

 

[enola]

Roll away nests fixes egg eating problems.

 

[jckrasch]

I have egg eating problems for months. I built a roll away nesting box and put curtains in front of nesting box, this works if the hens lay in the boxes. Sometimes the hens lay in the coop, which means no eggs for us since the two egg eaters get to it first. I tried golf balls (painted in brown and blue) in nesting box (glued on) and in coop, they think the balls are eggs and will try to gather all balls together when laying, but doesn't help. No kitchen scraps other than what they eat out of the garden when free ranging. Weekends are better since I'm hope to watch and pick up eggs right away. Seems like others are picking up on this bad habit. I'm out of ideas!!