HELP! CHICKENS EATING EGGS

[seminolewind]

Ladycatpurrs, that's pretty funny. But it works. I sat outside by the coop all day once to catch my egg eater, and I did. I heard that moving their nests helps too.

 

[lazy gardener]

That's what I do, too, and that works providing you've got a decent shell to begin with. That's not likely the case here. If the hen is eating her own eggs because she needs calcium, it's likely her own shell is calcium deficient and it isn't going to be much help feeding it back to her. She needs another source of calcium and the easiest would be oyster shells.

Putting mustard in the egg shell not only sounds like a lot of messy work, it doesn't get to the root of the problem as to why the hen is eating her own eggs. It's quite likely that she's in need of protein and an egg is some of the best protein there is. It's certainly the easiest protein for a chicken to find. I'd suggest they increase her protein via the addition of meat to her diet or by fermenting her feed and also give her a 24/7 source of oyster shell. It's likely that the egg eating will resolve itself once the underlying cause is defined and resolved.

Good logic and explanation of the what to do and why, mtnlaurl!

 

[lazy gardener]

I've had this problem for at least 6 months. I used to get 6 eggs a day and now I'm lucky if I get two or three. They always have an endless supply of pellets/crumbles and water. We give them leftovers from the kitchen and garden almost daily. I've been giving them oyster shell for two months and nothing has changed. I'm trying to collect the eggs twice before noon and that seems to help.

We're thinking of building nest boxes where the eggs roll into a separate area so they won't be able to eat them, but some won't even lay in the box, they lay on the floor in a corner.

The thing that I've noticed is that they like the inside of the egg and not the shell so much. I see the egg that's left behind and it has a small hole. I've even seen them eating the inside of the eggs and not really paying attention to the shell.

I put golf balls around where they lay, so we'll see if that helps.

Is it possible that the chickens are not eating the eggs, but you have a rat sucking them. The fact that there's a small hole does not match with what I remember of egg eating chickens.

 

[emmapal]

I am swearing by the fake ceramic eggs from McMurray Hatchery

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/ceramic_nest_eggs.html was the best price I found online.

We've been using them for several months now with zero losses to the egg eater except when she was invading the nest of a broody hen. In fact, what made me even more convinced they work was after putting the broody in her own pen and replacing the ceramics in the general nest, no more egg eating. I saw her go in and peck one, then give up and leave.

I also used them to bait a live trap for an egg eating skunk (who cracked one open!) with one real egg for smell. I tried for weeks with just the real one, but the night I put a whole pile in there we caught him. Not fun to dispose of that critter.

You could try golf balls first to see if that works, but I went straight for the fakes.

 

[margiedawn]

My chicken have just started laying their eggs. I notice that one of my leghorn was always trying to eat the Sex links eggs. The Sex links would not let her. I was starting to wonder if she was maybe a rooster. She not as fat as the others. Until I notice her trying to lay an egg. When I came back to check, all the chickens were eating her egg. So I tried the spicy mustard and they loved it. So that did not work. One chicken started egging her eggs now they all think its ok. I have golf ball out there too. My chicken are well feed. I mix their food. I do give them a lot of fruit and veggies. Extras from the garden( just for now). Can you give them too many fruit and veggies or could the one chicken that started have a issue because she it small than the rest. She also hangs out in the coop a lot while the others are in the run. I have read all the comments but still feel a little lost on what to do.

 

[Chickenhawk4]

Found this article where reducing nest box size helped with egg eating.

http://www.byexample.com/homestead/barn/chicken_nesting_boxes.html

Good Luck!

 

[emmapal]

I agree with article in that our eggs are clean unbroken laid in the box more reliably etc but it did not deter our eater

 

[margiedawn]

My chicken have stop eating there eggs. I started grinding up eggs shells and feeding them back to them, they don't even look like egg shells just powder. I put it in their food. They eat the eggs shells better than the oyster shell (which I was already putting with their food. I know why put it with their food, because they don't eat it if I put all by itself. I also made their run bigger. They don't bully the one that started it away from her food as much. So she get more to eat.

Now I just working on trying to get more eggs only get 2 a day for six chickens. I think it the hot weather....

 

[OverEasyAcresSC]

Eating eggs is a sign of an imbalance in diet.

usually they are craving the calcium in the shells.

Make shure you have a good supply of 16% or better protein layer feed, and provide free access oyster shell. (grit also)

 

[OverEasyAcresSC]

Is it healthy for chickens to eat their eggs?