They are eating their own eggs!

[Squawkers]

Is it alright to feed them egg shells? My wife has a bowl of egg shells for the garden.

Just make sure they are crushed, you don’t want them to get any more ideas

 

[Papa chick]

I've been leaving them closed up in pen until around noon to try and catch the eggs. What time of day do they lay? My guess is at anytime of the day. Otherwise they could be leaving them everywhere. Free range chicks. Frustrating!

 

[Squawkers]

I've been leaving them closed up in pen until around noon to try and catch the eggs. What time of day do they lay? My guess is at anytime of the day. Otherwise they could be leaving them everywhere. Free range chicks. Frustrating!

I always leave new laying pullets in the coop full time until the all are consistently laying in the nests.

 

[Squawkers]

After that, then I start letting them out to free range

 

[Papa chick]

I put hay in their beds but they scratch it off on the floor. And roost.

 

[Papa chick]

After that, then I start letting them out to free range

Ok. But they are very bored! Just standing around and squawking at me. And no eggs!

 

[Papa chick]

I put hay in their beds but they scratch it off on the floor. And roost. If I keep them locked in run, they are very bored! Just standing around and squawking at me. And no eggs! Or they may be eating them.

 

[Squawkers]

Yeah, it is kind of sad. I have a big run though, so they don’t seem as bothered. Maybe just try to keep the up for about 2 or 3 full days just to see if the amount of eggs change, then you should know.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

Egg eating is very frustrating. This summer I was putting nice soft fluffy hay in the nest boxes but then they would scratch around in it to find seeds or bugs or whatever, and then they would accidentally break the eggs, then eat them because why not?? and then that triggered full on egg eating. They would wait until a hen laid an egg then bang it around the nest box until it broke, then eat it. I know, I watched them do it - caught red handed. Then other hens got the idea and started doing it too. That was over the summer - I culled those birds ASAP. Some people have tricks that they try but it's such a hard habit to break and IMO not worth the effort, especially as it can become "contagious" to other hens. Currently I am losing 4-5 eggs a day and have caught 2 hens in the act with yolk on their face feathers - they are currently banished to the sick pen until I can get rid of them. But I know there is at least one more because I am still finding shells. I think sometimes it is birds that are bullied away from the food, or there are thin shelled eggs that accidentally get broken and they get a taste for them, but I have 6 dishes and a huge 20' x 30 ' fenced area, so really there is no excuse for this current group except greed and stupidity.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I put hay in their beds but they scratch it off on the floor. And roost.

This is a little confusing. What beds? Unless you have a breed that's less likely to roost they should all be encouraged to roost at night and NOT be in the nests other than to lay.

Do you have photos of your coop set up? Part of the issue could be eggs getting kicked out of nests, insufficient padding in nests, birds being allowed to sleep in nests, eggs not being laid in the nests, etc.

You also mentioned feeding them eggshells, and that they are on starter. Have they not had a source of calcium available before this? If that's the case then thinner shells/soft shells and the need for calcium could be driving them to eat eggs as well.

I've been leaving them closed up in pen until around noon to try and catch the eggs. What time of day do they lay? My guess is at anytime of the day.

They tend to lay more in the morning but yes laying can occur any time during the day.