hens eating their eggs!!

[Vagirl]

This is the first time in many years I have had a few hens eating their eggs! I have caught a couple in the act. One was a rhode island red and the other a phoenix hen. They gets lots of feed and oyster shell along with kitchen scraps, any suggestions? Thanks

 

[gmc]

Hi Vagirl,
I have the very same issue right now. A quick search using "egg eaters" will return many previous threads on the subject. I am going to try adding golf balls to the nest and see if that works. At least you know who the culprits are, right. Still looking for mine...

I've copied a link below to a very recent thread that covered this subject pretty well. Hope you find resolution to your problem.

gmc

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26077

 

[FarmerDenise]

When that was happening with our chickens (I never did find out who the culprit was), my vet suggested I buy wooden eggs from a craft store and put them in the nest. I also made a point of gathering the real eggs more frequently. It worked! Every now and then someone gets into the eggs again and I just put the wooden eggs back in the nest.

 

[mick]

i've noticed that if a hen breaks it's egg she will eat it, i never had hens breaking there eggs or purpose though

 

[Funop]

I thought I had a problem with either some of my chickens eating their eggs or the pea-foul that share the coop with the chickens.

Today I walked out to collect eggs at noon and found a possom sleeping in one of the nesting boxes. This is the 3rd one I've had to remove from the coop in the last year. Usually I just hear the chickens squaking like crazy at night and know to take the 22 out with me.

I believe he has been visiting the coop for the last 3 weeks robbing me of my breakfasts. I will see if my production goes up now.

How he got in? I have a broken part of a door on the section of barn that is my coops. I leave it un-repaired so that some of our out-door cats can hang out in the coop when they want to. They get along with the chickens very well (eating table scraps side by side) and figure they can keep any mice out of the barn.

 

[Chatychick]

Yep possums love eggs and it you disposed of it the egg count should go up alot...I have been having a possum problem too eating cat food took care of some of them but I know there are others...Good luck

 

[chicknmania]

We had that problem too, last fall. I really think boredom plays a big part. We increased the protein in their feed...sunflower seeds, kelp, layer. And I made a point of visiting them every other day with as much variety of table scraps as I could. The egg eating has stopped.