Hens eating all the eggs

[pbjmaker]

I know this topic has been posted before but I did a search and no luck.

Suddenly my hens have found the nummies that lay inside the eggs they are laying. I went from 12-15 eggs per day down to 4 or 5 if I'm lucky. I know a few of the main culprits now but I really believe it is all of them partaking in this new past time. Will putting wood eggs out there stop this behaviour or are they missing something in their diets?

I hate to cull any of the ones I am sure are eating them - it is my 2 year old EE, her olive egger daughter and my BC maran hens doing the damage.

Any other good suggestions?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

You might want to go out and gather eggs every little bit, so that way they can't eat them. Or your chickens may be bracking the eggs when they go to lay one, and then they're eating them, maybe.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Off with their lips!!!

Ok really, the only success I've had with an egg eater is by getting rid of her. Or...if you can afford to rework it, a rollaway system where the egg chutes out will work.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Your hens are calcium deficient.
Get them some oyster shell, free choice, and they will stop eating the eggs right away.
They are only eating, because they know they need the nutrition they provide.
Though you will have the odd chicken thats just ornery, and will eat no matter what.

 

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
They did have oyster shell and were still doing it. I have also been adding vitamins to their water lately because the winter has been so stressful.
I will put oyster shell back out and see if that helps. I just think it is weird that they started this after 2 years of never touching an egg (well the EE anyway)

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Mine still do it with the oyster shell, I mean really would you rather eat an egg or oyster shell!??!

I haven't been able to stop it completely, but I have limited it. I have the old metal nesting boxes that has 3 levels and about 5-6 nests p/level. I blocked all the lower level off so this limits their laying to the top level (for some reason they won't even go into the 2nd level nests). I've found a few eggs with a break in them but uneaten on the top nests, and since my ducks can't get up to those levels I have been without duck eggs for months!

Still can't figure out how to get them to lay and the girls not eat their eggs! The golf balls/fake eggs did not work for me, but that's what alot of people suggest. On the weekends I do go out more to get the eggs if we're home but during the week I have no choice because of work!

 

[pbjmaker]

That is my problem - I work all day so they are eating them for an afternoon snack before I get home. Then the ones I do get are covered in all kinds of grossness from getting yolk on them.

They keep moving their nesting spot also. Right now they are laying them on the floor.

 

[cowman910]

put some whole eggs inside the nestbox. Put a little hot sauce on them (or put it in a syringe and inject it into the egg) once they get a taste of that they will most likely stop. hot sauce or horse radish will work.

I did that when they started eating my tomatos and it stopped real fast! Then they moved onto the peppers.....Well I didn't even have to touch those!