mixed flock and egg eating hen

[mountainchick5]

I have a mixed flock of 20 chickens. 2 hens are laying eggs and one of those hens hatched 3 chicks that are about 3 weeks old. The rest are about 12-16 weeks old.The mama hen has been eating the other hen's eggs and teaching her babies to eat them as well

What is the best feed for all of them, and would oyster shells help with the egg eating?
Can I put out the oyster shells out as free choice with the mixed flock?

 

[emzee]

When our hens started eating eggs we put golf balls out there. They would peck the hard golf balls and I imagine that it hurt. That cured them real fast.

 

[sillybirds]

I don't think oyster shells will necessarily help your egg-eating problem, unless the eggs have such thin or soft shells as to crack and invite the hens to eat them.

I agree with emzee's suggestion about putting golf balls/fake eggs in the nest boxes. That worked in my case. (But it may perhaps cause a hen to go broody.) Other suggestions I've heard include putting curtains on the nest boxes (they may not eat what they can't see), getting rid of the offending hen (if only one), and building roll out nest boxes.

It is a frustrating problem. Good luck!