Friend fed 3 month old hens a dozen whole raw eggs

[Gerbil]

Overall y'all have put me at ease, I was so worried that they'd start seeking them out before they even started laying. They're my first laying hens in like a decade lol and I feel like I'm extra/too protective/careful

 

[FrostRanger]

I don't think any issues will come from this health or behaviorwise. As long as they're getting the nutrition they need they won't start eating eggs and as long as this isn't an everyday thing they won't have any health issues. Hens are usually smart enough to know the difference between broken and intact eggs and it's normal for hens to eat a broken egg to keep the nest clean

 

[McChooky]

That does help actually, I was really hoping one instance may not make them into egg eaters. Gives me a little hope lol And I literally have no idea. As she was explaining how she helped them crack the eggs I nearly had an aneurysm. Suffice it to say, there will be no more solo treat bringing. I'm so upset, she was trying to be helpful as I've been working long hours, but omg.

If she didn't want them eating their eggs she wouldn't teach them to break the eggs.Be glad she confessed

 

[talkinboutchickens]

It seems like there are 2 sides. One that thinks feeding chickens raw eggs is bad for them and that it will encourage egg-eating habits. And the other side that normally feeds raw eggs to their chickens with no ill side effects and egg eating habits have never happened. I think there is some truth to both sides. Personally, I'm on the latter. Every time I check the eggs, I'll give my chickens a few raw eggs because perhaps the outside of the shell is way too dirty or maybe I just have too many. Your pullets will be ok. But your friend still should have double-checked with you before they did that lol. But that is NOT good that she taught them how to crack the eggs open! No no no!
Raw eggs are actually good for them. in the 5 years that I have fed my chickens raw eggs, they have not started egg-eating habits. Well, I thought that they did, but it was a false alarm because they were just squashing the eggs due to the scarcity of nesting material in the nesting boxes. That was my fault lol.

 

[McChooky]

It seems like there are 2 sides. One that thinks feeding chickens raw eggs is bad for them and that it will encourage egg-eating habits. And the other side that normally feeds raw eggs to their chickens with no ill side effects and egg eating habits have never happened. I think there is some truth to both sides. Personally, I'm on the latter. Every time I check the eggs, I'll give my chickens a few raw eggs because perhaps the outside of the shell is way too dirty or maybe I just have too many. Your pullets will be ok. But your friend still should have double-checked with you before they did that lol. But that is NOT good that she taught them how to crack the eggs open! No no no!
Raw eggs are actually good for them. in the 5 years that I have fed my chickens raw eggs, they have not started egg-eating habits. Well, I thought that they did, but it was a false alarm because they were just squashing the eggs due to the scarcity of nesting material in the nesting boxes. That was my fault lol.

"That is NOT good that she taught them how to crack the eggs open! No no no!"

 

[C Siena]

Order ceramic eggs and blow out and fill eggs with orange dish soap and let them find them
Your friend is a doofus.

That's being kind, charitable.

 

[nuthatched]

That's being kind, charitable.

Given the thought process (?)

 

[Mother of Chaos]

What on EARTH was going through her brain?!

Feeding the eggs was one thing and bad enough (they’re not her birds!!), but teaching them to crack eggs open? That’s a whole new level of strange, and I’d be seriously considering dialling this friendship WAY back.

 

[McChooky]

I used to give a lot of eggs away but got smart and downsized my flock. Now every egg is consumed by my own family or fed to the dogs that protect them.Occasionally I feed them to the chickens too

 

[McChooky]

That's being kind, charitable.

Reminds me of the time I hired a family member to weedeat.
He dipped his hands in my Lotus garden to wash off some spilled gas