How to stop chickens from eating eggs?

[TheChickenChaser]

Hello guys! My chickens have been only laying for less than a week, and all but two eggs have had cracks and holes in them. I suspect the chickens are the culprits as they laid a shell-less egg and when I found it there were beak holes. Any suggestions on how to stop them from destroying their eggs?
Also, on a side note, one of the two unscathed eggs was a double-yolk!

 

[Debbie292d]

Well at least congrats on the double-yolker!

Perhaps once the shellless eggs stop, they'll leave them alone. The holes might have been made by their toe nails even.

One idea some do is put curtains on the nest boxes. If that doesn't do it, my idea was to paint the inside of the nest boxes black, then hang the curtains. They can't eat what they can't see.

Another idea I'd heard of was blowing out an egg and filling it with mustard and putting it back in the nest. Or, putting plastic or wooden eggs in the nests.

 

[Yardmom]

What are you feeding? Do they have an additional source of calcium. How much protein in their food?
If eggs are cracked or shell less it is a normal instinct for them to eat the eggs.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you continue to get eggs with damage, make sure to photograph the shells so we can better assess. The damage could be deliberate or accidental as thin shells/uneven shells are not uncommon with new layers.

It's their natural instinct to eat broken, damaged or shellless eggs. It does not necessarily cause egg eating problems later on.

 

[Mrs. K]

How many nests do you have? How many chickens? How big are the nests? They often seem to only like one or two - and a lot of eggs in there, can wind up with some cracked or broken eggs.

 

[CrazyChicken360]

If they’re eating the eggs is the case you can try roll out nesting boxes. That was the best way I got my hens to stop eating their eggs

 

[TheChickenChaser]

What are you feeding? Do they have an additional source of calcium. How much protein in their food?
If eggs are cracked or shell less it is a normal instinct for them to eat the eggs.

I am currently feeding them a layer diet, but no extra source. I was planning on using crushed egg shells as an extra source though. It’s weird, the chickens aren’t necessarily eating the eggs, they’re just have holes and cracks in them.

 

[TheChickenChaser]

How many nests do you have? How many chickens? How big are the nests? They often seem to only like one or two - and a lot of eggs in there, can wind up with some cracked or broken eggs.

Three chickens and 4 nests, though they prefer the ones on the edges

 

[TheChickenChaser]

If they’re eating the eggs is the case you can try roll out nesting boxes. That was the best way I got my hens to stop eating their eggs

That’s sounds cool! What are they?

 

[CrazyChicken360]

That’s sounds cool! What are they?

They are nesting boxes that are slanted on the bottom so when a hen lays an egg it rolls away from them so they can’t eat them. You can order them online they work really well.