HELP! MY HENS ARE CANNIBALS!!? (Sort of...)

[Clucklandia]

Hello! I'm sure people here have dealt with this before. I was getting eggs from the coop and one fell... Of course EVERY single hen rushed over and ate it. Trust me, I tried to stop them. So I have some Egg Eaters..

Now, every time a hen lays an egg, someone gets to it. I literally had to grab some as soon as they were laid so I could incubate. Is there anyway to stop this??!

 

[chickengirl778]

These articles may be helpful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater.63022/
https://www.thespruce.com/why-chickens-eat-eggs-stopping-it-3016829

 

[chickengirl778]

You're welcome!! Hope you can find a good solution!

 

[feedman77]

What are you feeding your hens?

I feed mine back eggs I drop or that are cracked. Or if I find a hidden nest. Just crack them and toss in to them. They go nuts usually follow me while I'm picking up egg looking for me to be clumsy.

But they don't go out of their way to eat eggs that are not broken.
Wondering if they were missing something in their diet

 

[feedman77]

Do you have a dog crate or other pen. Put the offending hen in it for a couple of days see if eggs pick up.

If they do after a couple of days. Put naughty hen back. If eggs go back down. Then it will be your call whethr to cull or not.

 

[Clucklandia]

These articles may be helpful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater.63022/
https://www.thespruce.com/why-chickens-eat-eggs-stopping-it-3016829

THANK YOU! This has a lot of great info!!

 

[christwodog]

I don't know how your nesting box area is set up, but they do make "roll-out" nest boxes where the bottoms are a little slanted so the egg rolls out into an area where the hen cannot get to it. They also just sell the slanted inserts for regular boxes if you don't want to replace your existing boxes. I bought one just in case, but mine aren't interested in their eggs at all. They lay them, then literally run away!

 

[Clucklandia]

I don't know how your nesting box area is set up, but they do make "roll-out" nest boxes where the bottoms are a little slanted so the egg rolls out into an area where the hen cannot get to it. They also just sell the slanted inserts for regular boxes if you don't want to replace your existing boxes. I bought one just in case, but mine aren't interested in their eggs at all. They lay them, then literally run away!

That's cool! Iv'e seen pics. We built ours at home. I should look into those though!!

 

[ravonbyas]

I have the same problem. I only have 5 chickens and now I'm down to one egg a day, and that is the one that is laid in the nesting box. The rest of my hens refuse to use it now ( I converted into a roll away box with little vinyl strip curtains) so they all lay outside the box. I have tried everything short of separating the offending hen,( cuz I know who is breaking the eggs), or just getting rid of her, but that to me means death and my chickens are my pets so that is hard for me to do. Even worse, after she breaks an egg, all the others are starting to get in on the eating. I am literally at my wits end. I don't know what else to do.

 

[ravonbyas]

Do you have a dog crate or other pen. Put the offending hen in it for a couple of days see if eggs pick up.

If they do after a couple of days. Put naughty hen back. If eggs go back down. Then it will be your call whethr to cull or not.

I do. That is my next step. We are gonna set up her own little pen and see if that helps. I really hope it does.