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- Make sure your chickens are getting enough protein. Read up on what to feed chickens. The protein ratio in their layer feed should be at least 16%. You can supplement their diet with milk, yogurt and/or sunflower seeds.
- Keep the eggshells strong. It is important to make sure that your hens are getting enough calcium in order to build strong shells. A thin shell is a broken shell and an eaten egg.
- Put a wooden egg or golf ball in the nesting box. The chicken will peck it hoping to break the “egg” open and get a yummy snack only to find it unbreakable.
- Fill an empty egg with English mustard. (Most) chickens don’t like mustard. Blow out an egg. Carefully fill it with mustard and place it in the nesting box.
Usually egg eating starts with a hen laying a thin-shelled egg which then breaks or cracks when it is laid. Being curious, hens will investigate what is inside and at that point often learn that what lies within an egg is tasty once they break the shell.
- Strengthen Shells
- Deep Bedding
- Collect Eggs Regularly
- Other Methods
Given egg breakage is the main reason hens begin eating their eggs, getting lovely strong shells is a good place to start. Ensuring the hens have adequate calcium and protein in their diet will help to maintain good shell quality. A simple way to provide additional calcium is to save egg shells, bake them hard in the oven, then crush them finely be...
Next make sure nest boxes have soft deep bedding which is clean and fluffed up daily to minimise the chance of breakage when an egg is laid.
Check nest boxes first thing in the morning and then every 30 minutes at the time when they usually lay – this may seem tedious, but if the hens cannot break eggs, they will soon find something more interesting to do. Providing enrichment is therefore a great idea.
There is an old wives’ tale that placing mustard-filled eggs will put hens off breaking shells, but this will not work as most hens don’t seem to mind the taste! However, one trick that has been known to work is placing rubber eggs in the nest box; this will fool the hens into believing eggs can no longer be broken and they will soon tire of their ...
- Assess their diet. Chickens eating eggs could be a sign that they are experiencing a nutritional deficiency or imbalance. Eggs are loaded with protein, and the shells are made up of almost pure calcium.
- Promote healthy, strong eggshells. Laying hens need a regular supply of free choice calcium available to them at all times. This is crucial! Because eggshells are so high in calcium themselves, laying hens need to consume a substantial amount of supplemental calcium to lay hard, healthy eggs with firm shells.
- Collect eggs often. Chickens can’t eat eggs that aren’t there! Don’t let eggs sit in the nesting boxes for an extended period of time. Collect eggs as often as your schedule permits (up to several times per day) – especially if you’re trying to break egg-eating behavior that has already developed.
- Provide cushioned nesting areas. Have you ever seen a hen lay an egg? Even though they sit down for quite a while beforehand, they stand up and squat when the egg comes out, so it has to fall several inches before it hits the ground!
May 20, 2024 · Discover the reasons and What To Do If Your Hens Are Eating Their Eggs. Identify, prevent, and get guides to stop them from eating eggs!
Nov 9, 2021 · In this article, we’re going to take a look at why hens eat their own eggs and what we can do about it. We will also take a look at some other egg-laying behaviors that can be problematic for you and your flock.
May 22, 2014 · 1. Egg yolk all over your chicken's beak or feathers could mean they've been eating their eggs. 2. Egg yolk in the nesting boxes, and the appearance of half eaten eggs. 3. The evidence of egg yolk on other eggs. Curious chickens could become egg eaters. Here are 10 Tips on Preventing and Curing Egg Eating. 1.
