my chickens are still eating their eggs

[drdrew]

my chickens have recently started eating their eggs. there seems to be no nutritional problems regarding their feed so i installed rolling nest boxes in order to stop them from accessing the egg so they stopped laying in the nesting boxes and started laying the eggs randomly around the coop and eating them. they’re really driving me crazy.

 

[CloneFly]

Oh dear... I have a jersey that started cracking and eating her egg while I was out collecting. I managed to swipe the gooey mess before she had much, but now Im worried she'll keep trying to eat her eggs (and the other's too!)

Following this thread in hopes of a remedy!

 

[sybonbon]

Are you sure they aren't b eating b them because they are already cracked or broken? The only time mine have eaten an egg is when it was stepped on and broken. Do you have padding in the boxes?

 

[drdrew]

Are you sure they aren't b eating b them because they are already cracked or broken? The only time mine have eaten an egg is when it was stepped on and broken. Do you have padding in the boxes?

yes i always make sure theres enough wood shavings in the nesting boxes but i haven’t gotten an egg in an entire month now and theres always gooey egg white in the nest boxes so i tried installing rolling boxes for the eggs to roll and not be eaten but they figured it out and started laying outside the box

 

[sybonbon]

yes i always make sure theres enough wood shavings in the nesting boxes but i haven’t gotten an egg in an entire month now and theres always gooey egg white in the nest boxes so i tried installing rolling boxes for the eggs to roll and not be eaten but they figured it out and started laying outside the box

In my experience wood chips or straw are normally scratched out of the box while the chicken is making her self cozy in the nest, leaving hard bare wood. I lined my boxes with scraps of artificial grass or carpet. The bedding pretty much stays in and softens the blow to the egg when it's dropped. I also have a ceramic egg in one of the boxes to remind them where to lay.

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

In my experience wood chips or straw are normally scratched out of the box while the chicken is making her self cozy in the nest, leaving hard bare wood. I lined my boxes with scraps of artificial grass or carpet. The bedding pretty much stays in and softens the blow to the egg when it's dropped. I also have a ceramic egg in one of the boxes to remind them where to lay.

I keep large amounts of hay in my nesting boxes with a cut feed bag to fit into the box so when they do crack an egg it's really easy to clean.

 

[aart]

yes i always make sure theres enough wood shavings in the nesting boxes but i haven’t gotten an egg in an entire month now and theres always gooey egg white in the nest boxes so i tried installing rolling boxes for the eggs to roll and not be eaten but they figured it out and started laying outside the box

Did they ever lay in the rolling nests?

 

[drdrew]

Did they ever lay in the rolling nests?

they did lay once but i guess they figured out it was stopping them from getting to the egg so they stopped laying there now they just lay wherever and eat the egg

 

[nuthatched]

What do you feed? Have you tried blowing out and filling eggs with yellow dish soap?

 

[drdrew]

What do you feed? Have you tried blowing out and filling eggs with yellow dish soap?

i just feed them regular chicken feed and i’ve added some calcium to it last week
my neighbor feeds his chickens the same feed but has never had this problem
the chickens are always well fed i make sure to keep the feed box always full
i also give them food scraps from home alongside their food