No!!! My hens may have discovered how good their eggs taste - Advice needed.

[Eggcellent8]

My hens just started laying about 1-2 weeks ago and we have been trying to encourage them to lay in their boxes. So far, they have made nests in the bedding and lay them on the concrete floor. It was working fine while we waited for our wooden eggs to come in the mail (to encourage them to lay in their nesting boxes).

Anyway, today I found an egg that looked like it had been stepped on. No!!!!! I was sure they had tasted it; and sure enough the next egg I found looked as though it was pecked open.

What do I do? How do I stop this cannibalism? I'm sure people ask these questions a lot, but sometimes it's easier to make a new thread than to search 50 different ones.

Help! From what I've read, this is a hard habit to break because they figure out how good their eggs taste. Honestly, I don't blame them. (Except for the fact that I'm selfish and want to eat them instead

)

Thanks!

 

[Tommy12241]

Hmmm this is tough one. Only thing I can think of is to not keep their boxes on the floor. Build a little platform about four feet high or so and put the boxes up there. That way they lay their egg and jump off and forget about it in about five seconds (they`re not to bright ). But if their eggs are visible and they walk around it and such they will eat it because it tastes good. But if its out of sight its out of mind. Also hens like laying in high places so you may get a few more eggs out of em. Please let me know if this works. This is not by experience just by how I think chickens work.

 

[CarolJ]

I got some ceramic eggs (wooden eggs or golf balls would work, too). Put them in the nest - and when they peck at them, they won't get rewarded with an egg to eat. I kept the ceramic eggs in the nest boxes for a long time. You have to collect the eggs the chickens lay as soon as you can after they're laid. Some people use a roll-out nest so that once the eggs are laid, they roll away where the chickens can't reach them. Good luck!

 

[Tommy12241]

Good idea Carol. Didn't think of that.

 

[Eggcellent8]

Thanks for the ideas! Our nesting boxes are raised about 16-18 inches off of the ground right now. They haven't checked them out other than when I gently shove them in there to get them to consider. (I agree Tommy, chickens don't always seem to be smart, that or they're smart enough to have their own opinions!

)

Carol - Right now the kids are so excited about collecting eggs, that they have figured out who lays when and at what time! That's why I was so surprised when I was noticing cracked eggs because we collect them so often. Wooden eggs coming in the mail soon, hopefully that will help encourage them in the right direction!

Would getting them to lay in their boxes help prevent egg breakage? If so, how can I help them lay in the right place (other than what I am already doing)?

 

[Tommy12241]

Yeah it would help to be in their boxes. Because when they re in their box they aren't thinking about food. But when they`re roaming around foraging they are. So naturally if they see something they want they ll eat it. I throw my hens an egg or two once in a while and they never develop an addiction. But if there is an egg laying around they ll go for it. Putting the false eggs may help too. Also make sure their boxes are pleasant to them. Make sure there is enough straw (bedding) to make it comfy but not to much to make it cramped. Make sure its sort of secluded so they think they re safe. Chickens can be very picky about their box.

 

[RaeRae2]

Yes definitely get them laying in the nests and not on the floors, if you can. I was worried to death because one of my hens jumped on an egg, broke it open and started eating it in the blink of an eye and I thought my whole flock was doomed to be egg eaters because of her. But I had taken the egg out and set it on the floor next to me while I was doing something else. My Dark Cornish hen saw something pretty and edible sitting on the floor and instantly started pecking it.

But since then, a couple of my young hens started laying in the boxes, and every day I find the eggs in there untouched with no problem.

Chickens are foragers and will sample ANYTHING laying on the ground, wether it's food or not! They will peck at something for 5 minutes trying to get it to break into pieces so they can eat it.

But an egg up in a nestbox is not likely to entice them to eat it. The nestbox isn't their natural place to forage and look for food. By nature, chickens eat everything off the ground.

 

[Cheep]

Yes, all is not lost. I find that 1 or 2 of my hens will eat an egg if I don't let them out of their pen early enough in the morning - but they still have only eaten a total of 3 or 4 eggs in 2 years.
When I was brand new to chickens, I paid too much attention to something I read that said "once an egg eater, always an egg eater", & was scared for awhile - but that bad behavior didn't catch on, once I mended my lazy ways. Also, follow the good suggestions above, so eggs are as much as possible, out of sight out of mind

 

[Tommy12241]

Yeah they wont get addicted really. I feed mine their eggs all the time. Such as when they lay in some hidden spot and i find it but im not sure how long its been sitting ill just chuck it to them. They all gobble it up. But they never go searching for them. Only when I throw them. One of them pecks at it while its in my hand. but thats it