How do I avoid egg eating?

[chicken mama 0908]

My greatest fear for my hens is cannibalism, aka egg eating. How do I avoid it?

 

[21hens-incharge]

As long as they have a good diet with 16+% protein it shouldn't be an issue.
Mine will eat eggs that get accidentally broken in the nests but will not deliberately break them.

I even give mine a few eggs, served raw and broken into their feed dish. They all partake yet if I put it there without breaking it they look at it but do not peck it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Helps a lot to pick up eggs regularly, to reduce availability of eggs sitting around in general, and to reduce the odds of eggs being broken from multiple hens coming in and out of the nests and moving things around.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have 4 boxes, all the same size. Right next to each other! And tonight I went in, and 8 eggs were in ONE box, and of course one was broken! ugh!

 

[WendyTestaburger]

You can put dark curtains on your nest boxes so that they can't see all that great in there. Will deter curious pecking. Also make sure they have access to oyster shell, you can coat oyster flour on meal worms, on top of giving layer feed. Strong shells are harder to break and once they figure out what's inside those eggs is when it's a rewarding behavior for them and they'll continue. Also fake eggs, there are some really good ones on Amazon. I have about 5 or 6 fake eggs in each nest box but we have an egg eater or two so this is sort of a last resort since it does make them act more broody.

 

[chicken mama 0908]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Ifitaintbroke]

Or you could just remove the eggs.

 

[chicken mama 0908]

You can put dark curtains on your nest boxes so that they can't see all that great in there. Will deter curious pecking. Also make sure they have access to oyster shell, you can coat oyster flour on meal worms, on top of giving layer feed. Strong shells are harder to break and once they figure out what's inside those eggs is when it's a rewarding behavior for them and they'll continue. Also fake eggs, there are some really good ones on Amazon. I have about 5 or 6 fake eggs in each nest box but we have an egg eater or two so this is sort of a last resort since it does make them act more broody.

I have a few golf balls. Do they work?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have a few golf balls. Do they work?

Golf balls work fine as fakes.

 

[aart]

I have a few golf balls. Do they work?

Yep, and you don't need curtains.
I put one or two fake eggs in each of my four nests, it helps spread the love.