Hens eating eggs

[303hunter]

I have bb red, and golden Sebright bantams in a divided coupe. Lately, I've been getting fewer eggs from both, and caught one of the Sebrights eating an egg. They are eating well, and get treats like table scraps regularly. I feed them a mixture of laying mash, and chick starter. How can I get tham to stop eating eggs?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They eat eggs usually from a protein or calcium deficiency, or because they are bored, if not stopped soon enough it can become a habit that can be near impossible to break. I would feed the chick start only for the extra protein, make sure you have a separate bowl of oyster shell, and make sure your hens have plenty of range to keep them out and busy. Keep extra treats low unless they are high in protein. Collect eggs often and add ceramic eggs or golf balls to make their attempts at eating eggs unsuccessful.

 

[303hunter]

I took the divider out of the coupe, and the bb reds have more room. Built another enclosure for the sebrites, and gave both a separate bowl for oyster shell. I got 2 undamaged eggs today from the bb's(4 hens), so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[JoeinNC]

We are almost neighbors our home is in Vass, anyway one of our 6 hens has just started eating eggs, today was the first time a whole egg was eaten. The last week or so we have collected eggs with small cracks I didn't know what it meant now I do. Thanks for the post.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We are almost neighbors our home is in Vass, anyway one of our 6 hens has just started eating eggs, today was the first time a whole egg was eaten. The last week or so we have collected eggs with small cracks I didn't know what it meant now I do. Thanks for the post.

If Eggs are cracked they might get eaten too. Make sure your nests are well bedded. The hen stands up to push out the egg, so they drop, if your nest are bare they could crack.

 

[303hunter]

We are almost neighbors our home is in Vass, anyway one of our 6 hens has just started eating eggs, today was the first time a whole egg was eaten. The last week or so we have collected eggs with small cracks I didn't know what it meant now I do. Thanks for the post.

It's kinda weird. My full size hens have never eaten eggs, just my bantams. The one that I know is doing it broke an egg while I was reaching for it! I may have to separate her from the rest.

 

[JoeinNC]

Thanks for the tips. I would put straw in or pine shavings in the nest boxes and the hens would kick it out so today I added a 2 inch lip across the front now its harder for them to kick it out, we will see if it works.