Egg eating can become a real bahviour problem once a hen aquires a taste for her own eggs. While egg eating shouldn’t be too big of a problem in the homestead flock, you should know about some management practices you can use to prevent egg eating in your flock. It is also helpful to know how to stop an egg eater so that you can address the issue as soon as you recognize the problem. This guide on how to prevent chickens from egg eating will provide you with practical tips for how to prevent and stop this bad habit from becoming an issue in your homestead flock! Don’t lose any precious fresh eggs to hens who think the nesting boxes are a free-for-all buffet!
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Why Do Chickens Eat Their Own Eggs?
Eggs are actually extremely beneficial for chickens, however, that doesn’t mean they need to eat all the eggs they lay! An egg eating habit can lead to messy nesting boxes and less eggs for you, which can become quite annoying and troublesome.
Hens naturally won’t be inclined to crack open and eat the eggs they lay. A bad egg eating habit is usually caused by some management issue or a dietary problem. Here are some triggers that can cause a hen to eat eggs from out of the nesting boxes:
- Nutritional Deficiency– Both calcium deficiencies and protein deficiencies can lead a hen to seek her own eggs for nutrition. Nutritional deficiencies can be caused by an improper or unbalanced diet.
- Boredom– Sometimes boredom can lead a hen to investigate items in the coop that she can peck at or eat, in which case eggs may become a target for her attention. Winter time or extended periods of being cooped up can lead to boredom behavior problems like egg eating.
- Acquired Taste– A hen will remain an egg eater once she has acquired a taste for raw egg and learns that the eggs she lays can be cracked and eaten. A hen who associates her own eggs with a delicious snack can create a hard egg eating habit to stop!
The best way to avoid an egg eating issue in your flock is by not allowing your hens to form the bad habit in the first place. This can be done by preventing egg breakage (keeps the hens from associating the eggs they lay as a tasty snack) and by ensuring your hens are getting a proper homestead diet.
How to Prevent Egg Breakage
Broken eggs in the nesting boxes or in the chicken coop can encourage a hen to become an egg eater. Once a hen associates the round oval objects with a tasty snack, she will quickly learn how to help herself to the nuggets in the nesting boxes. If you can prevent cracked or broken eggs from being available to your hens you will not give them the chance to acquire a taste for raw egg.
Here are 5 ways you can prevent egg breakage at the chicken coop:
#1. Collect Eggs Regularly
Collect eggs from the nesting boxes at least 2-3 times a day, especially if you have a large flock. For smaller homestead flock, 1-2 times a day may be sufficient. Eggs can easily become cracked if the nesting boxes get too full. The more eggs that are in a single nest, the more likely a hen may accidentally crush an egg when she is sitting in the nesting box.
Hens will generally lay their eggs in the morning. However, each hen will lay her egg a little later every day because her laying cycle is on a 24 hour cycle. Collecting eggs around noon or in the late afternoon can be helpful for preventing eggs from piling up in the boxes.
Collecting eggs frequently throughout the day can also prevent hens who are bored from cracking into the eggs. It can also limit a hen who has become an egg eater from having regular access to eggs left in the nesting boxes.
#2. Proper Number of Nesting Boxes
Having the proper number of nesting boxes for the size of your flock will prevent hens from sharing nesting boxes. When more than one hen crams herself into a nesting box, the likelihood that an egg might get cracked increases! You should have 1 nesting box for every 4-5 laying hens in your flock.
With that being said, hens don’t always follow the rules (chickens can’t read)! You may find your hens frequently sharing a nesting box or taking turns laying their eggs in the same nesting box. This is because instinctually, hens want to lay their eggs in the same spot to create a clutch of eggs for incubating.
You can encourage your hens from cramming into the same nesting box by making sure all the nesting boxes are equally appealing and are the proper size. Here are some nesting box tips to keep your hens happy.
Nesting Box Tips:
- Dark– make all the nests dark by using nesting box curtains
- Comfortable– ensure all the nests have plenty of thick litter (hens like to make nests with the litter in nest boxes)
- Not Too Small– small nesting boxes can cause a hen to be crowded in the box and can lead to eggs being crushed
- Not Too Big– big nesting boxes won’t be as appealing to hens and can encourage multiple hens to sit in the same box together
- Perfect Size– the nesting boxes should be just big enough to accommodate your largest hen
- Proper Height– the nesting boxes should be the proper height for your hens to easily access, ideally they should be lower than the roosts but still up off the floor of the coop
- Easy to Access– have a railing or a ramp that makes the nesting boxes easy for the hens to access without having to step into a nesting box that may already be full
In general, a 12″ square nesting box will suffice for most hens. Large hens may benefit from slightly larger nesting boxes that are closer to 14″ square. Bantam hens may like smaller nesting boxes that are more like 10″ square.
#3. Adequate Litter
Make sure all the nesting boxes have plenty of cushy litter in them. The litter in the nesting boxes provides the hens with materials to make a nest out of (an instinctual behavior) and cushions an egg when it is laid. An egg does have to fall a little ways when it is laid, so having thick litter in the nesting box can prevent it from cracking when it hits the ground.
Hens like soft, cushy materials for nesting. Straw or large flake wood shavings are often appealing litters for the nesting boxes. Make sure the litter is about 2″ deep in each nesting box. Hens will often ditch litter out of the nesting boxes when they go to lay their eggs, so you will need to regularly replenish the litter in the nesting boxes.
Artificial grass mats are a solution to prevent hens from ditching litter out of the nesting boxes. Grass mats are sold in sizes that will fit into most standard size nesting boxes. They provide cushion for the eggs and are easy to clean. However, hens are not always fond of grass mats and may choose to lay their eggs elsewhere to avoid the grass mats.
#4. Deal with Broody Hens
Broody hens can cause nesting box congestion and lead to hens fighting over nesting boxes. A broody hen will remain in the nesting box, stop laying, and take up nesting box space. If other hens want to lay in the same nesting box, they may cram themselves in with the broody hen or try to peck her out of the box.
Cramming into nesting boxes and fighting over nesting boxes can lead to eggs being broken, which then invites an egg eating hen to move in for her snack! If you recognize that one of your hens has gone broody, you will want to deal with her right away.
If you are going to let her incubate and hatch eggs, it is best to move her to a seperate brooding pen. For hens that you don’t want sitting on eggs, you should use a broody breaker to discourage her from being broody.
#5. Nesting Box Train
Lastly, another way to prevent egg breakage is by properly training your hens to use the nesting boxes. Hens who don’t lay their eggs in the nesting box may choose less convenient and less cushioned places to lay their eggs. The eggs are then more prone to being stepped on or pecked at by curious hens.
Nesting box training hens is especially important for young flocks. Pullets (young hens) will need to be taught where to lay their eggs, especially if there are not adult hens present to set a good example. Placing fake, dummy eggs in the nesting boxes can help teach young pullets where to lay their eggs.
If a hen or pullet does start laying her eggs elsewhere instead of in the nesting box, try blocking off those areas so she can’t access them. Constantly moving her into the nesting boxes can also encourage her to lay in the proper place.
How to Fix Diet Problems
Dietary deficiencies can lead a hen to seeek other sources for her nutrition. A hen who is craving calcium or protein may eat her own eggs to recieve the nutrition she needs. Ensuring your flock is getting a proper and balanced diet can help prevent egg eating due to dietary deficiencies. Here are some tips that can help you feed your flock a diet that will prevent egg eating:
#1. Quality Feed
A properly formulated, quality feed should be the basis of your flock’s daily diet. A properly formulated feed will contain all the nutrition, vitamins, and minerals that chickens need on a daily basis. Quality feed will be made using ingredients that are wholesome, sustainable, nutritious, and that appeal to your backyard flock.
A laying hen should be fed a layer feed that contains at least 16% protein and 3% calcium. The protein and calcium in a hen’s diet will help her lay strong-shelled eggs while still providing her with the nutrition she needs for other body functions.
Here are some other articles to check out for ensuring you feed your homestead flock correctly:
- How to Prevent Dietary Imbalances in Chickens
- Balancing Protein in a Flock’s Diet
- How to Feed Chickens Naturally
- Feeding Chickens a Homestead Diet
A proper diet will also minimize health issues that could cause a hen to lay soft-shelled eggs. Soft-shelled eggs are more likely to crack or be broken open by hens, which can encourage egg-eating behaviors. Soft-shelled eggs can be the result of a calcium deficiency, hot weather, or a respiratory ailment.
#2. Free-Choice Calcium
Even though layer feed contains calcium, laying hens still need to have free-choice access to a calcium supplement. Each laying hen has her own calcium needs which can vary depending on the hen’s age, rate of lay, environmental conditions, and overall diet. When free-choice calcium is available, a hen can consume the additional calcium as needed.
Crushed eggshells and crushed oyster shells are two good sources of free-choice supplemental calcium. Giving your hens crushed eggshells will not encourage egg eating as long as the eggshells are dried and crushed. A hen will not associate the crushed eggshell pieces with the eggs she lays.
If you do use crushed eggshells as a calcium supplement, you will still need to mix them with crushed oyster shells. Crushed eggshells are digested too quickly to provide adequate supplemental calcium. Mix the crushed eggshells and crushed oyster shells together and provide them in a free-choice feeder for your hens.
Providing a free-choice calcium supplement will help prevent a calcium deficiency which can lead to egg eating.
#3. Healthy Protein Snacks
Another cause of egg eating can be if your hens are deficient in protein. Eggs provide protein and hen may start eating her own eggs if she needs more protein in her diet. To prevent a protein deficiency from leading to egg eating, give your flock healthy protein snacks.
Black soldier fly grubs are a natural, healthy snack that provide both protein and calcium. Since bugs are a natural part of a chicken’s diet, black soldier fly grubs can be fed to your flock on a regular basis (in moderation) to supply them with extra protein in their diet.
Other healthy protein snacks that you can give your flock on occasion include:
- cooked meat scraps
- sprouted lentils
- quinoa
- canned fish (in water, no salt)
#4. Appropiate Treats
Lastly, if you feed your flock a balanced diet you must have a good understanding of what treats to feed your flock. Excess treats or too much of certain treats can lead to dietary imbalances, which can then lead to egg eating if protein or calcium are deficient in the diet.
Healthy treats like fruits, vegetables, and garden scraps are safe to feed regularly in moderation. Treats that are composed of elements that are already in your flock’s diet (think grains, seeds, and high-carb foods) should only be fed on occasion and not in large quantities.
The biggest fallacy when preventing an egg eating issue in the homestead flock is that chickens should never be fed eggs. You can still feed your flock eggs! However, it should be on your terms. The eggs should also be cooked or otherwise in a form that will not allow your hens to associate their egg snack with the eggs they lay. Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and even chopped fried eggs are all great snacks for your flock!
Avoid feeding your flock raw eggs or eggs in the shell as hens may start associating those snacks with the eggs that they lay.
How to Stop Egg Eaters
Once a hen becomes an egg eater, breaking the habit is very difficult! If the egg eating resulted from a dietary deficiency, that can usually be fixed by improving the diet. However, the hen may have still aquired a taste for raw eggs and persist with the habit. Collecting eggs as frequently as possible and preventing egg breakage can all help discourage an egg-eating hen. However, that doesn’t always fix the issue!
Here are some ways you can discourage or stop a hen who has become an egg eater.
#1. Use Repelling Eggs
Try filling eggs with a substance that is not as palatable for chickens. You can discourage egg eating hens by tricking them into thinking the eggs taste bad, when really you are just using dummy eggs stuffed something that the hens don’t like the taste of.
First you will need to blow out a couple eggs. You can blow out the contents of a raw egg by poking a hole on either end of the eggshell. Blow on one end of the egg to push the contents out the hole at the other end. Sticking a long toothpick or wooden skewer into one end and carefully scrambling the egg’s content before blowing can help the contents blow out easier.
Once the eggs are emptied of their contents, use a syringe or fine piping tip to fill the egg with a non-palatable (but still edible) substance. Mustard is a common filler that many hens dislike. Then place the dummy-filled eggs in the nesting boxes to hopefully teach your egg eating hen that eggs taste bad!
#2. Use Dummy Eggs
Along with dummy-filled eggs, you can also use actual dummy eggs. Fake plastic eggs or even golf balls may do the trick. Every time you collect eggs, place some dummy eggs in the nests. When an egg-eating hen tries to crack into a dummy egg, she will be unsuccessful. Hopefully after she has several failed attempts, she may quit her habit all together.
#3. Install Roll-Away Nests
Hens who learn to eat their own eggs immediately after laying the egg are extremely hard to stop. One measure you can try is by using roll-away nesting boxes in the coop. Roll-away nesting boxes have a slanted bottom that lets the egg roll gently down into a trough where you can collect the egg but the hen can’t access the egg.
#4. Provide Entertainment
Keep your flock entertained and stimulated so they have less time to devote to more destructive habits, like egg eating. By keeping your hens distracted with their environment they can learn to ignore the eggs they lay. Free-ranging is a great way to keep your flock active and distract them from their eggs!
However, free-ranging your flock is not always possible at all times. Your flock may especially need entertainment when they need to be cooped up for prolonged periods of time, such as during inclement weather or when you are gone on vacation.
Flakes of straw are great to use during the winter months, and other entertainment items such as grazing boxes, treat pinatas, dust bathing spots, and chicken toys can all be used year-round to add interactive elements to your flock’s enclosure.
#5. Make Dark Nests
Locate the nesting boxes in an area of the chicken coop that is away from lights and windows. You can also make nesting box curtains to attach above the nests and further make for cozy, dark nesting boxes. Hens instinctually will look for darker, safe locations to lay their eggs. The dark nesting boxes can trigger a hen’s nesting instincts, which may remind the her that she is there to lay eggs, not eat eggs!
#6. Provide Plenty of Space
Lastly, you will want to make sure you provide your flock with plenty of space, both in the chicken coop and in the enclosure! When your flock has plenty of space despite being confined, they will be less stressed, less likely to get bored, and less likely to engage in bad behaviors. A standard size hen needs at least about 2-3 square feet of coop space and a minimum of 8-10 square feet of enclosure space. The more space the better for keeping your flock healthy and stress free!
Hopefully these tips and tricks for how to prevent chickens from egg eating will prevent you from having an egg-eater in your homestead flock. When a hen develops the habit of consistently breaking open eggs to eat them, it can be very difficult to stop the habit. Prevent egg-eating from becoming a problem by making sure your flock has plenty of space, a proper diet, and by collecting eggs on a regular basis. Don’t loose any more fresh eggs to an egg-eating hen by implementing measures to break the habit before it becomes a regular practice in your homestead flock!
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by Alexa
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