how to stop egg eating?

[phaethona]

I'm not certain, but I think I may have an egg-eater in the bunch

I have 10 very spoiled chickens, got them as babies on st.paddy's day, so that makes them about 24ish weeks old. From the 10, I usually get about 5, 6 or 7 eggs a day. for the most part, we've worked out the kinks of new layers(soft eggs, laid in the wrong place, etc.) I figured that the reason we're not up to 8,9,10 eggs is probably due to a late bloomer or two.

but now I'm wondering if I might have an egg eater. I'm home all day with my preschooler, so we do several egg checks during the day. on 2 or 3 occasions I found yolk in a nesting box, no trace of shell, just squished yolk. I knew to clean it up right away so they wouldn't eat it. then today I had a dentist appt. and my roomate collected eggs while I was gone. he said one of the eggs was broke up pretty bad, so I went out to make sure it was cleaned up and apparently he just tossed the shell on the ground near the coop because I walked out there just in time to see one of the girls sneaking off with a mangled egg shell, so I shooed her away from it and took it inside and threw it away.
so here are my questions:

-do you think she purposely broke the egg to eat it?

-did she want the shell for the calcium? (I do offer free choice oyster shell)

-does she maybe need more protein?

-if it does turn out that we've developed an egg eating habit, how do you put a stop to it?
I was kinda thinking about putting something bitter(but safe of course) on a couple eggs and leaving them there for the day, something along those lines...

 

[phaethona]

bump

 

[greyhorsewoman]

You can search the forum ... suggestions for stopping egg eating have been a regular topic. I, personally, try to remove the offender. And, while others will probably disagree ... there is NO connection between eating the egg shells and developing an egg eating habit. I've been throwing used egg shells, along with other kitchen scraps to my chickens for YEARS. I've had only had a handful of egg eating hens (and some of those were free rangers that DON'T get the egg shells).

 

[elieugene6]

I just went through the same problem with mine. It was my blind in one eye chicken. In my case it was a calcium deficiency that caused it the day after I got the oyster shell and she devoured it the egg eating stopped. You said though that you do already offer free choice oyster shell so most likely it isn't the calcium they are after. It could be protein or boredom. It still could be calcium but most likely not. Try feeding some meat or hanging things for them to pick at like cabbage, greens or fruits. I have heard of people filling eggs with horseradish or hot sauce but then again I have also heard that chickens can't taste hot stuff. It works for some though if you would like to try.

As for purposely breaking the egg to eat it, it might have started as just an accidental broken one but once they realize how good they are they will purposely peck at them to crack and eat.

Hope this helps

 

[chkinut]

look online for roll-away nest boxes. or do a search on this forum. i know there's a guy who makes them. the nests are set on a small incline so the eggs roll to the back of the nest behind a wall where the chickens can't get to them. i only have 4 standard hens and a silkie, and i believe i have an egg-eater too....probably my silkie. i only need one nest box....maybe 2.....and the smallest roll-aways i found online were 4-hole. that's too big for me. SO.....i'm gonna make a cheap make-shift roll-away my own self. i'm gonna use a big covered cat litter box.....have hubby cut 2 slots near the back where i can slide some particle board in.....put some hay behind the "wall" to soften the egg landing as it rolls back....and also put astro-turf of some sort for the hens to lay the eggs on. i heard that you should put hay on top of the astro-turf at 1st, so they recognize it as a nest box and to encourage them to lay in it. THEN, gradually take the hay out...untill all they have is the astro-turf....that way the egg will actually roll to the back....the egg won't roll with all the hay in the box. so, i'm gonna try it!