Hens eating eggs

[awhitfield627]

I have 3 hens that are on average laying very well. Problem is, every other day or so, there will be no eggs. I caught one eating her egg one day very soon after she laid it. I am not at home during the day to collect eggs right after they are laid. What can I do to prevent this? I've tried a couple of things I read online, but not working apparently!

 

[troutfarm]

I am having the same problem, 2 out of 3 eggs are being eaten every day!

 

[feathersnuggles]

Make sure you are offering them crushed well-flaked oyster shell, available all the time in a free-choice dish. This will help make strong shells, which don't crack easily when laid, when stepped on, or when pecked by a curious beak. And put a golf ball or wood egg into each nestbox, which seems to help stop egg-pecking behavior. Otherwise, make sure your nestbox has deep enough bedding to cushion the egg as it is laid. Now & then some of my hens will use more force to eject an egg, so it hits the nest a little harder. It's good to have extra cushioning.

ETA: you didn't say what you've tried so far...
however, if you've already tried everything I suggested, then make sure they ALWAYS have very fresh, clean water to drink. I've read that, to stay alive, dehydrated hens will eat their own eggs to obtain moisture, if 1) they do not have enough water, or 2) their water isn't clean enough. I think this can be especially true if they are locked in a coop/run situation during the day. Hens that free-range can sip water from lots of different spots, including puddles that form on a leaf, etc. If they are in a run and their only source of water isn't clean and fresh, they MAY not be drinking enough.

 

[housetree88]

One of my chicken books said to blow an egg and fill it with hot mustard and spices. I did this 1 time and the hens all tried to get a piece of it. I only have had 1 other time that I thought one of them might be eating their eggs because there was a small hole in the egg instead of the cracks from when the egg drops too hard. I filled another blown egg and left it in the nest box. They did not even touch the 2nd egg. No trouble since.

 

[dmccann]

i have this problem when an egg gets cracked when laid, i use golf balls in nest also lined nest box with cardboard which seems to prevent cracks, the mustard egg did not work for me , i would like to get roll away egg nest boxes .

 

[Falcon61]

Give them osyter shells from the feed store and put a couple of ceramic eggs in there nest. once they peck those a few times they should slow way down.

 

[smith2]

I have had several egg eaters and nothing I have tried has worked so far. I send mine to freezer camp ASAP after trying to rehabilitate them. Sometimes their hormones get messed up and they just go to eating eggs.

 

[rancher hicks]

One suggestion I have seen is to make your nest boxes smaller and dark. You want it small enough for them to get in but not stand and turn around. I would alos put two wooden eggs in each box the size they lay. Perhaps once they hurt their beaks pecking a wooden egg they will get the idea. I use the wooden eggs and only on occasion have a problem.