What to do about chickens eating eggs?!

[gimmie birdies]

Last night, I went to dinner with some ladies I have dinner with on occasion, and one lady whom I had not met before was there. Since it was one of the ladies birthday, the lady I had not met brought eggs for the lady with the birthday. I got excited and wanted a peek of the eggs, the eggs were big and colorful. I asked about her rooster, and told her about mine, she said hers was a blue cochin mix, and I realized I had sold her husband her birds. Her bird was the dad of my rooster. Small world.

 

[blackandtan]

I always keep fake eggs in the nest, white ceramic, beige painted rocks, pink plastic Easter eggs and golf balls, all work equally well to keep the chickens from sampling eggs...the problem for the last couple years though has been my turkey hen, she loves sitting on eggs after she lays and she’ll squish the chickens eggs either sitting on them or when rolling all the eggs she can reach under her belly...at least she makes me laugh!

 

[Barry42001]

Didn't have any egg eaters per se but we did have is chickens being ever the delicate ballerinas would occasionally puncture shell with a claw if that happens all bets are off they will eat that egg because it's damaged and presents itself as food. Thin shelled eggs if they survived the ballerinas half the time when you go to pick them out of the nesting box they partially crushing your hand I always finish the job and crush up the egg and she'll and let the chickens have it. Also crush up the shells from inside the house and do a finer crush and feed the shells to the chickens so that they can get their calcium up. Had rat snakes come into the coop a chicken's chose not to defend and it had two eggs down its gullet and the chickens were peaceably clucking eating and nesting alongside the nesting box with a snake in it. Sorry I couldn't shed any more insight on egg eating chickens aside from what my observations are

 

[gimmie birdies]

One of my hens is named Ballerina, she is a LO.

 

[Hardknockshomestead]

Didn't have any egg eaters per se but we did have is chickens being ever the delicate ballerinas would occasionally puncture shell with a claw if that happens all bets are off they will eat that egg because it's damaged and presents itself as food. Thin shelled eggs if they survived the ballerinas half the time when you go to pick them out of the nesting box they partially crushing your hand I always finish the job and crush up the egg and she'll and let the chickens have it. Also crush up the shells from inside the house and do a finer crush and feed the shells to the chickens so that they can get their calcium up. Had rat snakes come into the coop a chicken's chose not to defend and it had two eggs down its gullet and the chickens were peaceably clucking eating and nesting alongside the nesting box with a snake in it. Sorry I couldn't shed any more insight on egg eating chickens aside from what my observations are

Funny! Delicate ballerinas, ha ha!

 

[Chickassan]

As long as their diet is good nobody should have egg eaters. A broken egg is fair game though, never seen a chicken pass up a broken egg. It makes sense, they can't brood it so just recycle it. Truth the only egg eaters i've ever had were eating a crap diet. Food got better and the eggs weren't eaten, it is one of those things I think they'd prefer not to do. It would be like us having a baby then immediately eating it. Sure it is possible but it won't continue your genetics just fill your belly.

 

[Barry42001]

Normal healthy are does not present itself as food in the chicken mind be that what it may. Damage the egg and changes the circumstances and how it presents itself is food cuz it can see the food

 

[BarredRockMom]

So, how's it going so far? Any luck changing her behavior?

I know that lots of folks say that it's a tough or nearly impossible habit to break once acquired & they recommend culling. I couldn't, but that's just me.

When my girls eat an egg, I usually find a good reason. My rule is if you break it, you get to eat it...but don't do it on purpose. I don't believe that they set out to eat 'em, but accidents happen. And I have many occasions when I find so much shell and egg in the box that it makes me think that someone cracked the egg on her way out of the box & just kept going. (And I think "whew, bad habit averted!")

Hopefully, all is getting back on track for you.