Hen eating eggs

[blueberrysilky]

I have a pair of Black Sumatras, the hen laid an egg yesterday, and cracked it. Since they are new, and she didn't lay the egg in the nesting box, I left it in there. This morning I caught the hen eating it! I know this becomes a problem, I have never had to combat it. How do you stop them from doing this? They are literally eating money!!! (I plan to sell for 45 dollars for a 4 week bird.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Don't leave cracked eggs sitting around, it's natural for them to eat them out of a nest to keep it clean.

 

[blueberrysilky]

But I have heard that if they get the taste they will continue to eat eggs. Is this true?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I feed my chickens their eggs all the time. It's an instinct to not eat their eggs. Chickens will eat eggs when their diet is inadequate, deficit in either protein or calcium, or if they are too crowded or bored. To prevent egg eating give them plenty of room and things to do as well as feed them a good quality ration, I like a higher protein one like an all flock that offsets the scratch that I give them, as well as always having a dish of oyster shells in case the crave calcium. Cracked, broken and floor eggs are up for grabs.

 

[blueberrysilky]

Well, the birds are brand new, they have been cooped up in the coop for two days now. I am building them a 16ft x 8ft run, and the coop is and will be 5x5 underneath. So they will have adequate space. Thanks