Egg eaters?

[ILuvsChicks]

Will a hen that has developed a taste for eggs only eat other hens eggs? Or will she eat her own eggs as well?

 

[nuthatched]

Any eggs, she doesn't care or know.
Try filling some eggs with yellow or orange dish soap.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

You can use golf balls, this way she cant eat them. I've also used easter eggs so when a hen opens them she dosent get a reward.

 

[nuthatched]

You can use golf balls, this way she cant eat them. I've also used easter eggs so when a hen opens them she dosent get a reward.

If your hen can open golf balls......you need to check your feed for steroids...or sign her up for major league sports.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

If your hen can open golf balls......you need to check your feed for steroids...or sign her up for major league sports.

I ment that way she can’t crack anything open.

 

[UncleDougsChickens]

I originally used fake eggs as an indicator for where they should lay them. Over time eggs break here and there and you'd get an egg eater or two while the others are oblivious. I (unfortunately) started tossing the broken eggs to them thinking they'll just be thrown away anyways, why not let them enjoy them?

This ended up turning every single one into an egg eater who willingly would die in the egg eating frenzy just to get a taste of it. Fake eggs no longer "trick" them, they peck it to oblivion hoping it would break open.

At this point its winter and they're mostly older girls so production is drastically down anyways, but in the spring I need to build and install a roll away system. (something like these https://www.amazon.com/roll-away-nest-boxes-chickens/s?k=roll-away+nest+boxes+for+chickens)

moral of the story, yes they eat all eggs, every egg, theirs, yours, mine. I'm not sure you can stop egg eaters from forming now and then, but training them like I did doesn't help..

 

[Yardmom]

If hens are eating eggs that are not already broken, they likely are not getting the nutrients they need. Protein and calcium are two to try increasing.