My hens are laying - then eating their eggs!!!

[Lollyclucker]

Help!!! Why are my hens laying and then pecking and eating their own eggs?

 

[luvchicks8]

put mustard in there egg shell they usually stop. If not put a golf balls in there and remove there eggs asap.

 

[AmyRusso]

first, are they leaving the shell but eating the egg itself. or, are they leaving the egg, but eating the shell? if they are eating the shell, they are lacking calcium, and are trying to get it the natural way. try adding some oyster shell to their layer mash, just mix it in. that will give them the calcium they need for proper egg laying, and it will thicken their eggshells a bit. what we do is save the shells when we use eggs, then crush them up and mix them into their food.

now, if they are leaving the shells and eating the egg itself, that is a totally different problem. unfortunately, i do not know the cause or solution to that one. we did at one point have a blue jay come into the coop, peck open eggs and eat the egg itself. we succeeded in chasing the jay off. so, maybe make sure that it is really the chickens that are eating the egg?

good luck