They are eating their eggs!

[my5hens]

And I cant get them to stop! We are losing lots of delicious eggs because they break them and eat them before I can get to them. They have plenty of food.

 

[Den in Penn]

Don't know what you nave tried, The ultimate way to stop them is roll away nest boxes.

 

[Erica]

Hi my5hens,
what an annoying problem! I've had it too.

A lot of people swear by blowing the egg out of a shell (hole at both ends) and filling it with mustard or chilli, but in my experience that works for all of about 5 minutes. In other words it's a waste of time.

The best ways are to either:
1. Use a 'roll nest'. This has a sloped floor and the eggs roll into a little cupboard where they're safe.

or do some of the following:

1. Harden eggshells (extra shell grit, maybe they need worming or extra vitamin D from sun or cod liver oil, don't feed meat meal or meat and bone meal, or milk/yoghurt, make sure drinking water is clean).
2. Darken and perhaps raise nestboxes (harder to see eggs inside the nest).
3. Add golf balls or fake eggs to nestboxes to deter pecking.

If all that fails, then take all the nestboxes and other obstacles away, clear the floor of litter so eggs can roll, and leave hens in the coop to lay on the floor for about 2 weeks. The eggs will be dirty but over time the hens will stop trying to peck them.

And if that fails... chop.

cheers
Erica