Help.. I think I have an Egg Eater.....

[hannahsflock]

I solved my egg eating problem by giving them a little sprinkle of oyster shell on the ground once a week for a while. You can get this from your local pet shop.

Hope this helps!

 

[BC Chick]

We had some recent egg eating issues - we used very hot mustard inside an egg shell and when the chickens attacked the 'mustard-egg' they all ran around shaking their heads for a while - it was obvious that they didn't enjoy it. I did that twice and also left golf balls in the outdoor run and they seem to be ok now but we collect as often as possible and keep an eye on them. It's easy to tell if they are eating eggs as they usually have yolk spots on their feathers...... Good luck!

 

[subhanalah]

We had some recent egg eating issues - we used very hot mustard inside an egg shell and when the chickens attacked the 'mustard-egg' they all ran around shaking their heads for a while - it was obvious that they didn't enjoy it.  I did that twice and also left golf balls in the outdoor run and they seem to be ok now but we collect as often as possible and keep an eye on them.  It's easy to tell if they are eating eggs as they usually have yolk spots on their feathers......  Good luck!

I would also recommend increasing your girls' protein every day, it seems lack of protein can often cause egg eating in laying flocks.

 

[hannahsflock]

Try my article on egg eating: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/egg-eating-what-are-the-causes-and-how-to-prevent-it

 

[Phoenixxx]

When I first got chickens they were the production reds. One day I busted TWO of them eating eggs! My solution: chicken dinner!

They weren't nutritionally deficient; in addition to layer, my chickens get a lot of free-ranging (3 to 14 hrs/day) and there's no shortage of bugs here! So they were definitely eating eggs simply because they liked them.

 

[weegarden]

Interesting Find! I had been getting about 15 eggs a day from about 20 chickens! Really nice numbers! Then it dropped to 2-3 eggs a day all summer. I caught two chickens with egg on their face. Actually no egg on their face, but I did catch them actually eating the eggs when I heard other chickens frantically making their hen noises. I separated the two culprits, and faithfully go out each day to pull them from the coop. I wasn't getting any eggs from them, and they are both 1 1/4 yr. old hens, so I assumed they were eating their own eggs too. But, last night when I was going to put them in, I found an egg with no outer shell. Hmmm, I'm thinking it is a definite lack of calcium for these hens. It is interesting though because I do feed plenty of calcium. And, when they eat eggs, they eat the shell and all. I hate to put the two of them in the pot because they are beautiful hens. :-(

 

[subhanalah]

Interesting Find! I had been getting about 15 eggs a day from about 20 chickens! Really nice numbers! Then it dropped to 2-3 eggs a day all summer. I caught two chickens with egg on their face. Actually no egg on their face, but I did catch them actually eating the eggs when I heard other chickens frantically making their hen noises. I separated the two culprits, and faithfully go out each day to pull them from the coop. I wasn't getting any eggs from them, and they are both 1 1/4 yr. old hens, so I assumed they were eating their own eggs too. But, last night when I was going to put them in, I found an egg with no outer shell. Hmmm, I'm thinking it is a definite lack of calcium for these hens. It is interesting though because I do feed plenty of calcium. And, when they eat eggs, they eat the shell and all. I hate to put the two of them in the pot because they are beautiful hens. :-(

do they have access to crushed oyster shell?
Is their feeder ever empty? You may need to feed more frequently or add another feeder so they don't run out of food.

What are you feeding them right now?

 

[weegarden]

Yes, they do get oyster shell, but I put a scoop in with their food each day. I should probably have another container, that is always full. And yes, they do run out of food each day later in the evening and then we refill it every morning. Hmm, good catch, I better get a bigger food container and make sure that it stays full. They broke their big feeder, and this problem did start shortly after that. Hmm. There is hope. We are feeding layer food from the Tractor Supply Store, along with oyster shells and grit.

 

[tatty21]

I also had an egg eater. I mentioned it to my neighbor, and he came over and clipped the end of the beak with a pair of wire cutters. He said that is the best way and always done this way in Costa Rica. Hen is happy and so am I.

 

[chickenchick99]

I only found four eggs today when I normally have 8 or 9. There was a tell-tale wet spot at the bottom of one of the nesting boxes. So....I suppose I shouldn't have thrown the cracked egg I found in a box this morning on the ground for them to eat (my waste not, want not mentality)? Duh!!

I should also mention that many of the shells are very fragile. I do leave oyster shell out (and have also tried crushed egg shells which they wouldn't touch). I see a previous poster adds oyster shell right to the food. SHould I try that?