When you have chickens eating eggs it can be extremely frustrating. It’s even more frustrating than when they stop laying eggs at all.
The worst part is, this behavior can be difficult to stop. Hens can even teach each other the bad habit and before you know it, there will be no eggs left for you!
There are many reasons that chickens develop this bad habit, and it’s best to deal with the issue sooner rather than later.
The most important thing to understand is why are your chickens eating eggs? There are several causes for hens to eat their own eggs, and the more you know, the better you can deal with this situation before it gets out of control.
This post contains affiliate links.
Our friends over at Reformation Acres wrote a whole post about chickens eating eggs and the many reasons they do it. It’s a good place to start for anyone trying to solve this mystery and find a solution.
Here’s an excerpt from the post:
“Last week we came to realize that we had a serious, serious issue that developed in the coop where what seems to be our entire flock of laying hens has taken to eating their own eggs. That’s not exactly what I meant when I said that I wanted to start supplementing their feed rations. Those little treats are for us and I jealously covet them for my personal use in the kitchen! We had hoped that there were only one or two culprits, but as the investigation proceeded more and more hens were found to be guilty.
Finally, one morning, after finding half an egg that became fully frozen in the process of being eaten and then dropping a newly laid one on the floor of the coop and having the entire flock practically pounce on it we admitted the problem was bigger than we had realized. It’s pretty impossible to isolate the violators when it’s your whole flock! And an attempt by my 13-year old to taint some eggs with hot sauce didn’t phase them.”
Read More:
When Your Chickens are Eating Their Own Eggs
7 Tips How to Stop Chickens from Eating Eggs (And Why They Do It) - The Hen's Loft
Monday 10th of February 2020
[…] Backyardchickenproject.com relates a story from chicken-raising friends at Reformation Acres who experienced the egg-eating phenomenon when their entire flock learned to devour their eggs. They knew they had one or two chickens involved in the debauchery. However, one day, the extent of participation in the bizarre ritual became apparent. […]
Scott Earl
Sunday 30th of July 2017
Go down to your local farm supply and buy 3 or 4 solid fake eggs and put them in the boxes... it wont take very long and your problems will be over.
Pamela Sands
Thursday 12th of January 2017
Thank you for all the info!!
Angie
Friday 16th of September 2016
I have some eating there own eggs some one told me to gave them hard boiled. Egg that would help they don't do it all the time but i still see a shell every now and then