Hens eating eggs?

[mauraoc]

We have a mixed flock of year old hens - 5 Buff Orps, 5 RI reds, 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks, 3 California Whites and 3 Sicilian Buttercups and we were getting 12 - 15 eggs a day. Production has fallen off slightly and we've noticed we weren't getting as many white eggs, particularly the small ones that the Buttercups lay.

So then we caught the girls in the act - we've seen them pecking, fighting over and destroying the Buttercup's eggs. We put white nest eggs back in the nests for a while, figuring pecking the porcelian eggs would discourage the behavior, but they figured it out after a week or so. We've also tried collecting twice a day, rather than once. This morning I caught them in the act of destroying an egg while I was collecting others,

Anyone else have this problem? Is there a way to discourage or stop it? Is it a dominance behavior, since it seems to focus on the white eggs, particulary those of the buttercups?

Any help appreciated.

 

[tazcat70]

Is it all the hens or just a certain one?

You could try to introduce an additional protein source into their diet. ie: catfood or tuna or cottage cheese.

 

[harrisville chicken]

I've read in several places that blowing out an egg, then filling it with mustard / chili powder for them can curb their appetite. Never had to try it with my girls, but I'm keeping that one in mind. Anyone else tried that one?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

My Chickens also eat their eggs, I'll find egg shells and the yolk in the hay, and man does it make a mess in the nest!
I know I have a Blue cochin bantam hen that does it for sure ...

I would also like to know hy in the world there doing this. Thanks.

 

[underground chickenman]

A lot of people will say that egg eating is an almost impossible habit to break, and that is probably true, IF it is a habit. After I bought a new feed recently (I was nearly out and was passing a feed store I had never purchased from before that was more convenient at the moment than my regular store), my hens started eating eggs and picking feathers. I got one or two eggs a week from six hens, but plenty of yellow wet spots in the litter in the nest boxes. They would pop one out and turn on it immediately. After a few weeks, I thought I had put two and two together and put them on a good quality starter ration and free choice oyster shell. I also threw a couple hands full of black oil sun flowers seeds once per day. Almost immediately, the egg eating and feather picking stopped. I am now back to 5-6 eggs per day from six hens.

It may not work for everyone, since egg eating can just be a nasty habit, but fortunately, in my case, it was clearly a nutritional deficiency.

Good luck and be sure to let us know if you correct this behavior and how.

UGCM

 

[chicknmania]

I think it is a calcium deficiency and linked to some other nutritional deficiencies too, b/c ours eat eggs in the spring when everyone first starts really laying a lot again. I have read sunflower seeds help, and I think they seem to. Some.

 

[mauraoc]

Thanks to all that replied. I think it is probably a nutritional deficiency. We realized that even though we feed a good commercial complete feed, we hadn't been supplementing any grit or oyster shell.

We'll try that and see if the behavior improves.