How to keep chickens from eating eggs

[gorgon]

My chickens have figured out that they can eat their own eggs, so they crack one and end up getting the other eggs dirty. This has also led to flies laying maggots in the straw which is a very disgusting thing to have to clean up. I don't think they do it because they are hungry, because I always have some food out for them. It might be because of boredom, but I don't know what to do to keep them occupied enough. If anyone knows a way to stop this, please respond!

 

[sourland]

Sometimes darkening the nest boxes with curtains helps break this bad habit.

 

[nuthatched]

What do your birds eat? Try blowing out some eggs and filling with yellow dish soap.

 

[preciouschick]

My chickens have figured out that they can eat their own eggs, so they crack one and end up getting the other eggs dirty. This has also led to flies laying maggots in the straw which is a very disgusting thing to have to clean up. I don't think they do it because they are hungry, because I always have some food out for them. It might be because of boredom, but I don't know what to do to keep them occupied enough. If anyone knows a way to stop this, please respond!

my hens do it too!! . They have a supply of oyster shells so its not the calcium. I think they just eat anything. I have stopped giving them broken eggs but I guess they have a taste for them. Some shells are soft at times and they break under their weight and they eat those, so I cant stop that.

 

[nuthatched]

my hens do it too!! . They have a supply of oyster shells so its not the calcium. I think they just eat anything. I have stopped giving them broken eggs but I guess they have a taste for them. Some shells are soft at times and they break under their weight and they eat those, so I cant stop that.

It usually has nothing to do with calcium, but protein, what do you feed your hens?

 

[Red Horse]

Someone told me that before my hens start laying, I should put fake ceramic eggs (which can be found at feed stores and TSC) in my nest boxes. They peck at these fake eggs and explore them and when they realize they aren't edible they stop being interested, so when the real eggs are around they focus their attention on the other things I have for them to do in the coop instead. This worked on keeping birds out of my strawberries too... I saw someone paint rocks red and put them in their berry bed and when the real berries came in the birds didn't even try. It worked for me!!!! Maybe it would help to put ceramics in for awhile and then be extra diligent about collecting the real ones quickly so they only have the ceramic ones to peck at?

 

[preciouschick]

It usually has nothing to do with calcium, but protein, what do you feed your hens?

layer feed crumbles. they have a constant supply

 

[nuthatched]

layer feed crumbles. they have a constant supply

Try switching to a higher protein feed, layer just has the minimum amount of protein they need. Try a 50-50 mix of chicken starter and layer.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You could look into rollaway nest boxes too, doesn't address the cause but puts the eggs out of reach of the chickens.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I agree sounds like protein is the issue. What % protein is the layer feed that they are one? I would switch them to an all flock, flock raiser or chick starter that is 20% protein and see if anything changes.