feeding eggs-why is it that..

[Ducklove334]

it's ok to feed chickens(and ducks) cooked eggs, but not raw, I mean like they can eat cooked eggs fine and they won't start eating eggs, but why is it that when they eat raw egs, they could start?

I've wondered that for a long time.

we don't have any "egg eaters" who do it consistantly, but when I do happaen to drop an egg, most of them are all over it.

the worst we've got right now are a couple hens who are really bad about infanticide while still in the egg

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I don't believe that eating a raw eggs leads to egg eating. Some folks do. Some folks figure if there could be ANY possibility, they'll err on the side of caution. I feed my chickens raw egg shells all the time.

I think egg eating is mostly an acquired behavior, often from boredom, but who knows? I have one hen right now that eats HER egg, leaving all the rest of the eggs in the nest. How do I know? By the mess left on the other eggs. If I can figure out which hen she is (out of my 50 blkstars), she'll be gone.