Turkey eating it's own eggs!!?

[silkielover88]

I've caught my 1 year old turkey hens eating egg shells from their own eggs! We have also caught the tom eating them too!! We Have feed with the highest protein we can find, we have started giving oyster shells but still they are eating them! Why!?

 

[ivan3]

Where in the world are you located? During breeding season, turkey hens can, and do, ID "bad eggs" and will attempt to carry them to quite a distance from established nest (either consume for protein &/or prevent easy ID of nest by preds). Tom eating eggs? Bad habit picked up during, brief, "Fall faux" season (hens not as aggressive about maintaining integrity of nest) from hen. (Separate toms from hens while hens are nesting - toms will also, occasionally, usurp hen's nest though the range of "broody" tom is rarely as efficient as that of a hen). A Jenny making tracks, with a "bad egg", about 30yds from nest. Had another hen carry half-hatched, dead poults/eggs off of nest, out of shed, then flew over/out of (and back into run twice) 6ft. fenced run and left both next to yard pump, approx. 60yds away.

 

[devinandfeather]

I had a problem with my hen so what we did was give them an egg but what you do it empty the yolk in it and put hot english mustard and chilli powder in it if that can't get rid of it then separate them for a while.

 

[silkielover88]

I'm in upstate ny, I've have turkeys for 4 years and this is the first time I've ever seen them do it. It's weird, they have stopped doing it's as far as I know, we have been taking the eggs out as we have been finding them. They aren't trying to nest, they never have for some odd reason.