MASS EGG EATING

[TyRi]

I have multiple hens eating eggs every day now. What started as a cracked egg here and there or an empty shell once in a while has turned into a full blown attack on eggs. Like 3-6 eggs a day empty. I changed food in January and we started to see a few empty shells so probably beginning of February I changed back to the same food, oyster shell and grit they have always had for the year prior and they haven’t stopped eating eggs. Am i going to have to send a ton of hens to freezer camp?!?! What can i do? Do curtains work so they cant see them after they are laid?? HELP PLEASE. Thank you for any input!!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Hello, this is happening to me as well. Check out the thread I made, it has a lot of good suggestions in it
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/weve-got-an-egg-eater-on-our-hands-😤.1649937/

 

[BlueO]

I heard you can make a small hole in the egg and do your best to empty it out then fill it with mustard. Apparently that works to make them stop eating their eggs. I’m not sure, though. This is never happened to me.

 

[McChooky]

Easiest solution is use nest boxes that allow the eggs to roll into a closed chamber. The eggs will be clean and won't get broken or ate

 

[nuthatched]

Roll away nest boxes.
Fill some eggs with orange dish soap.
What's their diet?

 

[McChooky]

I have multiple hens eating eggs every day now. What started as a cracked egg here and there or an empty shell once in a while has turned into a full blown attack on eggs. Like 3-6 eggs a day empty. I changed food in January and we started to see a few empty shells so probably beginning of February I changed back to the same food, oyster shell and grit they have always had for the year prior and they haven’t stopped eating eggs. Am i going to have to send a ton of hens to freezer camp?!?! What can i do? Do curtains work so they cant see them after they are laid?? HELP PLEASE. Thank you for any input!!

Its possible your hens have a deficiency from the change in diet.
Hopefully changing their feed back to what you used previously will correct this behavior (if they don't have a habit already)I would gather eggs several times a day to see if it helps.Set up a camera if you have one to see what hens are eating the eggs

 

[TyRi]

I most certainly wont change their food ever again lol. I believe they got the habit during the food change and even though it was only about 2 weeks of different food before I changed it back.. they picked up a bad habit. I will be making a roll away box when we get back from vacation. I just put curtains up on the egg boxes so we will see if that helps any! We have caught 6 of them in the act and we put mustard in/on the eggs and these crazy birds ate the mustard clean off the already broken eggs! I will try dish soap tomorrow if we find more broken eggs. During the weekend it is fine because we can collect multiple times but we are both at work during the day! Seems like a best solution is the roll away boxes! Will be a fun build/modification!

 

[Yardmom]

What is the food you are currently feeding? What was the food you used for a short time? I know you feel like you should never change the food again, but it might be wise to use a higher protein food until their bodies catch up again.

 

[McChooky]

I most certainly wont change their food ever again lol. I believe they got the habit during the food change and even though it was only about 2 weeks of different food before I changed it back.. they picked up a bad habit. I will be making a roll away box when we get back from vacation. I just put curtains up on the egg boxes so we will see if that helps any! We have caught 6 of them in the act and we put mustard in/on the eggs and these crazy birds ate the mustard clean off the already broken eggs! I will try dish soap tomorrow if we find more broken eggs. During the weekend it is fine because we can collect multiple times but we are both at work during the day! Seems like a best solution is the roll away boxes! Will be a fun build/modification!

When you go on vacation get someone to gather eggs at least once a day or more. Eggs left in the nest boxes will get broken and eaten

 

[McChooky]

I feed my chicks 16% protein Kalmbach layer feed and never had a problem with my chickens nutritional needs.(They free range a couple hrs a day too) My chickens like wet layer feed better than eating it out of the feeder so I'll make them a mash every other day. I'll also break an egg or two sometimes and drop it on top of the mash so they eat the egg first.I never leave their eggs in the nest boxes .I gather them every day( sometimes twice)I wouldn't advise you to do this since yours are eating the eggs!!!!!!!!!!