As a backyard chicken keeper, there is nothing more frustrating than finding your hens breaking open and eating their own eggs. After spending time and money caring for your flock, the expectation is that they will reward you with a bountiful basket of eggs. But when chickens develop the nasty habit of egg eating, it can quickly halt your egg production.
In this article, we’ll explore the top reasons why chickens eat their own eggs and provide actionable solutions to stop this aggravating behavior for good.
Common Causes of Egg Eating
Chickens don’t eat their eggs out of spite. There are usually underlying issues causing this behavior. Here are the most common culprits:
1. Nutritional Deficiencies
One of the top reasons hens eat eggs is to obtain nutrients they are lacking in their diet, especially calcium and protein. Even if you offer free-choice feed, dominant hens may prevent lower birds from accessing enough food. This can lead to deficiencies and cause certain chickens to eat eggs to supplement their nutrition.
2. Egg Breakage
Often, egg eating starts by accident. A hen accidentally steps on or pecks an egg and gets a taste of the contents. Curiosity (or hunger) sets in, and she continues intentionally breaking eggs open to eat.
3. Stressors
Stress from overcrowding, bullying, lack of food or water, parasites, predators, or even boredom can trigger a chicken to eat eggs. It’s a displacement behavior that helps ease anxiety.
4. Broody Hens
A broody hen who refuses to leave the nest may cause other chickens to fight her for nesting space. This can lead to accidentally broken eggs, kicking off egg eating behaviors.
5. Improper Lighting
Hens like to lay eggs in dim private areas. Bright light shining directly on nest boxes can deter hens from laying there. Unlaid eggs are more likely to be pecked at and eaten.
6. Poor Nest Conditions
Dirty or overcrowded nest boxes can lead to broken eggs which chickens then eat. Insufficient, thin nest box bedding also allows eggshell breakage.
Now that we’ve covered why chickens eat eggs let’s discuss solutions.
8 Ways to Stop Chickens From Eating Eggs
Here are tips to troubleshoot egg eating behaviors and protect your egg harvest:
1. Eliminate Nutrient Shortages
Switch to a higher protein feed or supplement with mealworms. Provide free-choice calcium supplements like oyster shell. Check that all chickens can adequately access feed – add more feeders if needed.
2. Increase Space
Overcrowding stresses chickens and leads to pecking behaviors like egg eating. Add more nest boxes and perches so chickens aren’t competing over space. Give them more room in the coop and outdoor run to move around comfortably.
3. Improve Nest Conditions
Line nest boxes with several inches of clean, dry bedding like pine shavings to cushion eggs. Regularly replace soiled litter to prevent eggs from getting dirty and broken. Consider roll-away nest box inserts to move laid eggs to a protected compartment.
4. Collect Eggs Frequently
Gather eggs 2-3 times per day so they aren’t sitting in the nest being pecked at. This also provides a natural deterrent – chickens are less likely to eat eggs when the nest appears empty.
5. Add Entertainment
Bored chickens are more likely to pick up bad behaviors. Hang cabbage heads, add pecking blocks, or place treat-filled chick grit trays in the run for distraction. Lettting chickens free range also helps provide enrichment.
6. Use Fake Eggs
Place fake or wooden eggs in nests. Hens will eventually learn they can’t eat these “eggs” which deters them from pecking at real eggs.
7. Control Lighting
Reduce light shining directly on nesting areas. Hang curtains over nest boxes or face openings away from sunlight to create the dim environment hens prefer for laying.
8. Isolate Offenders
If you can identify chronic egg eaters, isolate them. This behavior spreads rapidly to other chickens, so remove these culprits before they teach others their nasty habit.
Why You Need to Stop Egg Eating
Left uncontrolled, egg eating can decimate your flock’s egg production. And once chickens acquire this habit, it is difficult to break. Even just one or two egg eating hens can initiate others to follow suit. Before you know it, your entire flock could be destroying their own (and your) eggs.
While not always an easy behavior to troubleshoot, being vigilant by making the changes above can help protect your egg harvest so you – not your chickens – can reap the rewards.
Egg Eating Prevention #1: Prevent Egg-Breakage
Preventing egg breakage is the best way to make sure your hens don’t acquire a liking for raw egg. Once a hen learns that a cracked egg means a yummy snack, it is the hardest habit to break when preventing egg eating. Hens who want to eat raw eggs will stop at nothing to enjoy their favorite snack! There are several ways you can prevent eggs from breaking in the nesting box:
Eggs that pile up in the nesting box can often lead to eggs that get broken or crushed. Collecting eggs regularly throughout the day can prevent egg breakage. Generally, hens will lay their eggs in the morning. Collecting eggs in the late morning or early afternoon can be helpful in keeping the nesting boxes from becoming too full. Of course, exactly when a hen lays an egg is dictated by her laying cycle. She will lay her daily egg a little later each day, resulting in some occasional afternoon or evening layers.
The main idea is to keep eggs from piling up in the nesting boxes though, which can be done by one or two collections each day. Removing eggs from the nesting boxes throughout the day also provides less opportunity for boredom egg eating or for a hen who has become a notorious egg eater to get her daily snack.
Egg Eating Prevention #3: Break the Habit
If you do end up with an egg eating hen in your flock, you will have to work hard to break that habit! Egg eating caused by dietary deficiencies can usually be fixed through an improved diet, however, that still gives the hen enough time to acquire a taste for raw egg. Here are several ways you can prevent hens from learning to love the taste of raw egg and to break any egg eating habits.
Hens Eating Their Own Eggs? Here’s How To Stop Them
FAQ
How do I stop my chickens from eating their eggs?
To prevent chickens from eating their eggs, ensure a balanced diet with enough calcium and protein, collect eggs frequently, provide adequate nesting boxes, and consider using dummy eggs or roll-away nests.
Is it normal for chickens to eat their own eggs?
How to increase chicken calcium?
Why would a chicken peck its own egg?
It often happens that chickens get nervous and skittish if the nesting boxes are exposed or in bright light which can lead them to peck at their own eggs.
Why do chickens eat their eggs?
Accidental Occurance: Sometimes egg-eating starts by accident – if an egg cracks or breaks, the hen may peck at it out of curiosity and then acquire the habit. Habit from Another Flock: Chickens eating their eggs can be a learned behavior passed from one hen to others in the flock. Once one hen starts, her flockmates may observe and copy her.
Do hens eat eggs?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Sometimes hens eat their eggs as a result of lack of protein, or it could just be caused by curious hens taking a peck or two at their eggs, then getting the taste for raw egg. How do you know you have an egg eater? 1. Egg yolk all over your chicken’s beak or feathers could mean they’ve been eating their eggs. 2.
Do stressed hens eat their own eggs?
Stressed hens tend to eat their own eggs. Leave them lay in peace. Don’t interrupt them while laying their eggs. Through this article on chickens eating their own eggs we explained some of the possible reasons for its appearance and thus mention some preventative measures to stop this chickens’ habit.
What happens if a hen eats an egg?
If a shell cracks easily, the hen may investigate and then continue eating the entire egg. Calcium deficiency can lead to thin shells. Accidental Occurance: Sometimes egg-eating starts by accident – if an egg cracks or breaks, the hen may peck at it out of curiosity and then acquire the habit.
Is it bad if chickens eat their own eggs?
Yes, it is generally bad if chickens start eating their own eggs. Here are some reasons why egg-eating is considered undesirable: Economic Loss: If chickens consume the eggs they lay, it results in a loss of the very product (eggs) that most backyard flocks are kept for. This can significantly reduce your egg yield and productivity.
Do hens eat broken eggs?
Egg eating often results from broken eggs, so making sure eggs are rarely broken can help halt the behavior in its tracks. Make sure you have at least 1 nest box for every 4 hens. These should be positioned off the ground and a decent distance away from your roosts. Give your chickens more space to roam in the run, too.