my chickens are eating their eggs--what to do?

[sarasquyres]

I have 2 americuanas (5 months old), a 6 month old welshummer and a 6 month old cuckoo maran. I started getting brown eggs last week- but the chickens are eating them! We check every 3 hours and it seems they go after them pretty quickly. What do I do?

 

[BantyRooster]

What are they laying their eggs in?

Is it possible that the eggs are breaking when they are laid?

If so, the hens will eat them and it's a very hard thinng to stop once they start eating them.

 

[sarasquyres]

I have straw in their nests, and they sometimes push it out into the "poopy" section. And they sometimes lay in the "poopy" section.

 

[sarasquyres]

They just started laying last week and I have had only one egg that has not been eaten--it seems as thought they are laid whole and then the chickens crack them. I have cannibals!!

 

[Imp]

Egg eating can be a tough problem. It can be broken. Can you rearrange the coop to shake things up a little.I switched to 5 gallon buckets as nests. Collect the eggs frequently. Add fake eggs to the nest. Some others have suggested curtains in front of the nests to make it darker inthe nests so the hens cannot see the eggs as well. And/or covers over the nests. Some people have said they've had successs with filling blown out eggs with mustard or horseradish. And there are roll away nests available. Good luck

Imp

 

[sarasquyres]

thanks--I'll give this a try.