chickens eating their own eggs

[cookinmom]

Hey, has anyone here had a problem with their hens eating their eggs before they could be gathered? My friend was horrified yesterday when I told him I gave my babies boiled eggs. He said he wouldn't risk having them get a taste for eggs, because they would eat them. I guess his family had a problem with this in the past.

My girls are a long way from laying right now, but when they do I intend to gather the eggs twice a day most of the time, but always at least once a day.

 

[TheBigWRanch]

I've heard that boiled eggs are OK, but not to feed them raw eggs.

 

[CarriBrown]

If you hard boil them, they don't make the connection. But don't feed them raw eggs otherwise they just might get a taste for it.

 

[cookinmom]

Makes sense to me! That's what I thought. Kind of like you can feed a dog cooked chicken, but Lord don't ever let him get hold of a live one!

Well, good!

Have a great day y'all!

 

[soonerdog]

Yeah Cookinmom you've got the right idea now. I had a situation that was turning bad. I had purchased a new rooster and placed with my hens that were already laying with no problem. Well the stupid rooster became a big issue and I had to give him away. He was just being roostery and getting in the nest to call to and encourage the hens where to lay. When they did lay in the nest he was always scratching and clucking and calling to them and all the while breaking the eggs. Naturally, they begin to eat the broken eggs. I removed him and sent him to a farm where he can free roam, and now my hens are laying in the nest just fine. No more breaking of their eggs and no more eating them. I am so glad because once they start eating eggs there is no getting them to stop the habit.

 

[cookinmom]

I'm glad your hens quit eating the eggs. They didn't want to become chicken 'n dumplings!