My hens have started eating their eggs. Does anybody know why they are doing this. I feed oyster shell grit, laying mash, and kitchen scraps of the vegetable kind. Some of my hens a about 5 years old. I look forward to your advice.
To paraphrase John Lennon, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans, especially in the GARDEN."
I'm not sure why, but I know once they begin doing this, it's really a hard habit to break. I remember years ago on the farm - we had to make sure if an egg got broken in the chicken coop that we cleaned it all up right away, as once they got a taste of egg they began doing it more frequently.
I'm sure someone else will have a more technical answer for you - if not, try doing a search on the internet for 'Wingdo's Roost'. One of the best poultry places on the internet for good folks and good information.
Can you make a rollback nest? This is a box with nesting sections in it, usually lined with scrap carpeting rather than hay, which inclines towards the back, with an enclosed area to trap the eggs, so they don't get picked at. Once hens start eating their own eggs, unless they are broody (and sometimes even when they are) they tend to continue.
Have you tried adding some oyster shell or some other source of calcium to their diet? I think that they may be trying to obtain material to make their shells. David Chisholm
What Dave said falls within what I have experienced. Every once in a while, I'll have an egg or two eaten. I have noticed that many times this happened when I fed later in the morning than what they were used to. Also, I occasionally ad oyster shell in with the feed for calcium. Sometimes when I've slacked off of that it has happened as well. Also timely removal of the eggs helps as well. Sometimes it's a combination of all three.
Rockfish, deep in the Sand Hills of North Carolina "Fail Carpathia"
Posts: 421 | Location: Zone 7b South Central, NC | Registered: January 16, 2003
I raised chickens for 10 years, never had a problem with them eating their eggs, and I didn't get to gather the eggs till I got home after work. I did keep crushed oyster shells in their feed and often scattered some on the ground around the coop area. Also, I never kept chickens after the 2 1/2 year mark, they start producing less at that point; so I always bought new chicks after two years, and when the new ones started laying, I gathered up all the older chickens and took them to the local small animal auction, and usually got about $4 per hen at the sale.
Thanks everyone for your advice, I feed oyster shells with their scratch grain and laying mash, gather eggs at about 10:00am, and they are not crowded. I cannot make a lay back nest. I think that I will have to start over with a new flock and my customers will just have to do with out eggs for a while. In the mean time, I think I will put a dog crate, a large one, in the coop and put hens in one at a time and try to find out which ones are eating eggs. I've tried the Wingo site but don't understand how to use it. All I get are lots of e-mail messages about different things from different people that are not ment for me.
To paraphrase John Lennon, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans, especially in the GARDEN."
Are the laying boxes covered? hens like to lay in a dark place and tend to eat eggs laid in a light place.
Are the shells sturdy? older hens tend to start laying thinner shelled eggs which crack when they hit the floor of the laying box or get broken when another hen enters the box and than she will eat the brocken egg starting the problem
Get something to mark the hens (indelible marker on feathers or leg bands) and check on the coop every half hour or so to see who is eating the eggs for a day or two (it is usually only 1 or 2 culprets). Catch them in the act or look for egg on their faces (hense the cliche) and you will have your egg eaters. Mark them and than cull these hens as it is pretty much impossible to break them from the habit once they start and they can teach this to the others
I have the same problem and appreciated the responses although they were really no help to me. I have one hen and one rooster that I have caught in the act, and they are separated from the others. Occasionally I will beat them to an egg or two, it has become sort of a game with us. I have only a few chickens because I want to have chickens, not for egg production, so it really is not a big issue although I do enjoy the eggs when I get them. I feed them laying pellets, oyster shell, vegetable and fruit scraps, so they get a good balanced diet. I have no solution for you, just sympathy--we just have psycho chickens.
Maybe I'm just a sadist, but I wonder what would happen if you got a hypodermic syringe and needle, removed some of the egg white or yolk and replaced it with Louisiana Hot sauce (Tobasco)? I wonder if the fowl would smell the pepper before eating the egg? David
Hi all! I haven't posted on this board in ages, so I'm sure I'm a stranger to most of you ... but sure hope you don't mind if I 'chime in' here?
We've got a small backyard flock of chickens on our farm and they go thru this nasty habit of egg-eating from time to time too. I'd have to say that I'm mostly to blame when they start up tho, I notice that they only eat their eggs when I'm late with breakfast! And yes, it can be difficult to break this habit once it's started. But what seems to work for me ... is to first make sure they have feed and fresh water at ALL times, and be sure to collect eggs several times a day until they stop. But when this habit persists longer than I care to deal with (like a week) ... he he he ... I then sneak golf balls into their nesting boxes!!! Yup, a couple pecks on those (youch!) really discourages that behaviour too. Maybe that seems mean, but if you're like me who sees the chickens more or less as pets, it's a better option than culling. Anyway, just wanted to encourage you that it doesn't always mean that the chickens will do this forever, just keep after them ... like I said, mine have come in and out of it a few times already. Hope this helps you out?!
I read all the suggestions and was already doing most of the things that were offered--EXCEPT dark nesting boxes! For ease of cleaning and better air circulation I had used some sturdy plastic milk crates. Saw the "keep the eggs dark" response and suddenly realized that the chickens in the (dark) henhouse NEVER ate their eggs. Aha! says I, went in search of something I could put in the other pen where it is much lighter. Found an old popcorn tin (I never throw anything away) that had seen better days, laid it in the chicken coop in a corner, and voila! I'm getting eggs again! Thanks so much!!!!
Maybe that seems mean, but if you're like me who sees the chickens more or less as pets, it's a better option than culling. Anyway, just wanted to encourage you that it doesn't always mean that the chickens will do this forever, just keep after them ... like I said, mine have come in and out of it a few times already. Hope this helps you out?!
