Got some Cannabilistic aggressive egg Eaters

[sampson]

OK, so here is what I have. 4 older hens, 2 White leghorns, and 2 red star's. 1 18 week old pullet who runs and hides, cause they all pick on her.

I have had upwards of 3-4 eggs per day (and even one glorious 5 egg day), but recently it is down to only getting 2. I was wondering why their production was down, then last night as I was closing them up in the coop at dusk I caught them cannibalizing a shell-less egg. tried to stop them by grabbing it but they went feeding frenzy and I couldn't stop the yolk from hitting the bedding.

So I'm now assuming that all 4 older hens are fully ingrained in eating their own eggs. Now I'm a farm boy. grew up eating frog legs, deer and morels. no problem butchering hens and all, but I don't want to go that route if I don't have too. (I think my ultimate solution will be a whole new flock generation next year. but for now, I want to CURE them of the errors in their ways. Don't want to cull if I don't have to.

So I'm going to start with the basics. Sunday I'm going to the farm store (working all day today, cant get there) and get ceramic eggs and oyster shell, I'll let them eat all the oyster shell they want and replace my Titleist eggs with realistic ceramic ones (possible they are able to tell the difference) also no more egg shells fed back to them, (possibly where this all began, my fault). Then I'm going to start letting them out in the morning to free graze, (6' tall privacy fenced suburban back yard with cinder blocks over the rabbit holes, and trim-winged chickenses, so they cant escape) and put them up at night to roost. I'm hoping that this will let them get less stress from begin caged all day, and hopefully alleviate the desire to eat eggs.

I'm curious about other helpful options to assist with this problem.

- does the mustard in the egg trick really work, I can try this, but I'd be interested to know if it really works, I heard pepper doesn't because it does not affect their taste buds

- is it possible that trimming beaks could help stop this, if so how, ( & I don't think It's cruel, screw PETA, I take good care of my animals)

- are there any other tricks that could help

 

[Percheron chick]

Letting them free range and switching to a higher protein feed might be all you need to do. Start there before you reinvent the wheel. Also make the nesting boxes more private and darker.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Did I read it right that they were eating an egg without a shell? It wasn't that they were cracking open perfectly good eggs and consuming them, right?

To eat a shell-less egg - or even an egg that's been accidentally broken - is instinctive to them. To not do so could attract predators and they will clean up whatever mess is made to avoid attracting someone else to the area. I've seen my girls jump on a shell-less egg and even one that I've dropped and accidentally broken in the coop but they've never intentionally pecked an egg open to eat it.

Definitely need to figure out why the one gal is laying shell-less eggs, a new layer maybe? Oyster shell should help with that. I'd watch and see if they're eating the hard-shelled eggs, too, but eating a broken or shell-less egg isn't quite the same thing.

 

[sampson]

Ah yes, I am now reading more, especially https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/876542/egg-eaters/20#post_13401992 I think I'll go with calcium and a decoy egg upgrade. and possibly play with some mustard and stop there. seems like good advise about the seasonality of some increased production issues as the spring season kicks in.

and yes you read that right the egg i caught them eating was a laid egg sack without shell, probbably due to lack of supplement. Since the shell less egg is indicative of lacking calcium, I am betting that is the true issue I am having, but the egg eating is just a byproduct of that (yes it appeared to be split already)