Egg eating chickens?!

[ChickenLover5912]

I got my new Seramas today and the seller told me she hasn’t been getting any eggs but we’ve had cold weather, so when I was with them I had to take a phone call and walked away for a split second and when I came back there was a half eaten egg! The chickens were all steady munching on it. I believe I know which chicken I came from but I don’t know if there’s an egg eater or if it was an accident so they ate it. When I picked it up the shell was soft. Do you think it was just a first after the cold weather so since it was soft they just accidentally stepped on it or something or did the chicken crack it herself? If this wasn’t an accident what should I do to break the culprit from this habit? Keep in mind all of them were eating so I don’t know who if any were the cracker.

 

[ChickenLover5912]

These are my new chickies! I believe it was the lightest one that laid the egg

 

[lazy gardener]

Soft shelled eggs will most assuredly get eaten. And once an egg is cracked, it becomes a free for all. When new pullets are starting to lay, there is a lot of exploratory pecking in the nest. This is different than a dedicated egg eater who deliberately hangs out at the nests so she can eat the eggs as they get laid. Increase the protein and calcium, be sure the boxes have lots of nice soft bedding and collect eggs often. You can also add some golf balls or ceramic eggs.

 

[ChickenLover5912]

Soft shelled eggs will most assuredly get eaten. And once an egg is cracked, it becomes a free for all. When new pullets are starting to lay, there is a lot of exploratory pecking in the nest. This is different than a dedicated egg eater who deliberately hangs out at the nests so she can eat the eggs as they get laid. Increase the protein and calcium, be sure the boxes have lots of nice soft bedding and collect eggs often. You can also add some golf balls or ceramic eggs.

Thank you! You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that! That was one problem I did NOT want to have to deal with!

 

[Skipper81]

Hello I had no eggs for a few days turns out the hens were all eating them. I solved it in 10 minuted and hasn't happened again.
Here's what you do.
Poke 2 holes in an egg with a tack pointed end and rounded end.
Blow out insides into sink
Note: shake egg to bust yoke up
Careful not to squeeze egg. It took me 2 tries first one I broke.
Ok now fill egg with mustard straight out of bottle. You can chip away at egg to make hole bigger to get mustard in. Once full throw it in with chickens. Make sure there water dish is full because they will learn they hate eggs and will need to wash there mouth out. Mine have been laying all winter not a missed egg. They might try the mustard a few times but won't continue.
Edit: make sure you provide oyster shells for your girls to pick at in a separate dish to avoid soft shells.

 

[Lkcoop66]

Hello I had no eggs for a few days turns out the hens were all eating them. I solved it in 10 minuted and hasn't happened again.
Here's what you do.
Poke 2 holes in an egg with a tack pointed end and rounded end.
Blow out insides into sink
Note: shake egg to bust yoke up
Careful not to squeeze egg. It took me 2 tries first one I broke.
Ok now fill egg with mustard straight out of bottle. You can chip away at egg to make hole bigger to get mustard in. Once full throw it in with chickens. Make sure there water dish is full because they will learn they hate eggs and will need to wash there mouth out. Mine have been laying all winter not a missed egg. They might try the mustard a few times but won't continue.
Edit: make sure you provide oyster shells for your girls to pick at in a separate dish to avoid soft shells.

Good job, I did the mustard thing a while back and it worked for a while. I now have 8 new Rhode Island Reds they are almost 6 months old, have been laying baby eggs for about a month and one of the girls has decided to start eating the eggs. I will use the mustard egg today. Thank you for reminding me about the mustard.

 

[MiasChicks]

I have had hens eating their eggs for about a week now, I have just put a mustard egg into the egg box.. keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Beer can]

I've had egg eaters and debated two ways to combat it, the mustard egg, or cull the offender. Heard both. Then someone mentioned it's usually because they are lacking protein, so I upped the protein level a little and it stopped. Not saying it will work for all birds or in all circumstances, but it's worked for me a few times now.
I think the golfballs, or dummy eggs helps also.

 

[MiasChicks]

I did put two dummy eggs in there too...

 

[Lkcoop66]

Thank you , I am working so hard to stop the egg eater and then I caught a blue jay cracking an egg and then I went for the shotgun. I have a camera in the coop so I can try and stay ahead of the criminals. I will increase their protein, put in more dummy eggs and super glue their beaks. Thanks again for all of the help.