Pet & Animal: How to Keep Chickens from Eating Their Own Eggs

Egg-eating amongst chickens usually starts as a mistake--a hen accidentally cracks an egg, and when she investigates, she finds that it's tasty and nutritious and gobbles it down. This behavior can spread quickly amongst the flock and, if left uncorrected, can be difficult to stop. This article will teach you how to provide your hens with an environment and diet that promotes the laying of strong, healthy eggs, and how to work quickly to stop the behavior before it affects the entire flock.

EditSteps

EditCreating a Healthy Environment

Reduce egg breakage by preventing overcrowding of the nests. At minimum, you need one 12" x 12" (31cm x 31cm) nest for every four to five hens.^[1] Too few nests or small nests can cause eggs to be trampled or squashed and broken, or can stress the birds and lead to more pecking. You want to reduce the chances of a broken egg as much as possible so the chickens never get a taste for them.
- Nests should be at least two feet (61cm) off the ground, and four feet (1.22 m) from roosts.^[2]
- Remove any broody hens (hens that insist on sitting on their eggs to hatch them) from the nesting area so they don't occupy valuable nesting space and contribute to higher traffic in the other nests.^[3]
- Consider a nest designed to allow the eggs to roll away into a tray after the hens stand up, keeping them safe from pecking and getting stepped on and broken.^[4]
Set up your nesting area in a dark, quiet area. Bright lights will stress out your hens and make them nervous, which increases pecking. Turn the nest box away from the opening of the coop and away from the direct sunlight and don't install bright lights. You may need to cover any skylights or windows to create a more comfortable environment.
- Remove anything that creates loud noises or sudden movements, as this can frighten the hens. If they get scared and run from the nesting box, they may break the eggs.^[5]
- Reducing light sources can also help keep the coop at a comfortable temperature--if it becomes too hot, the chickens can get irritable and start pecking more.^[6]
Provide enough nesting material to cushion the eggs once they are laid. Make sure each nest has a few inches of clean, dry nesting material (such as wheat straw) at all times.^[7] If you can keep the eggs from accidentally breaking (by knocking into each other in the nest or being laid onto a hard, unpadded surface), your hens will not have the opportunity to learn how tasty eggs can be.
- If an egg breaks in the nest, quickly clean out all the soiled nesting material.^[8]
Don't let your hens get bored. A bored and irritated hen is more likely to start pecking, so make sure they have plenty to do. Hang a cabbage for them to peck at and give them adequate space to walk around and exercise.^[9]
- Try to set up an area where they can roam and climb or jump on different obstacles, like tree stumps or roots. If you don't have anything like that in your yard, set up a ladder or a swing for them to climb on.^[10]
- Place a pile of hay in the chicken run. The hens will busy themselves scratching and rearranging the hay into an even layer.^[11]

EditAddressing Dietary Deficiencies

Provide your chickens with a well-balanced feed that is at least 16% protein and has lots of vitamins and nutrients.^[12] Look for a feed that is specifically for egg-laying hens.^[13] The feed should be high in vegetable fat and proteins.^[14]
- Keep in mind that additional starch (from kitchen scraps or scratch grains) needs to be supplemented with more protein, as it will lower the average protein content of their diet.^[15]
Supplement your chicken feed with calcium. If your chickens have a calcium deficiency, they will be unable to produce strong egg shells. If the shells are weak and crack when a hen sit or step on them, the hen will eat the broken egg. Once she discovers it contains protein and fats, and that the shell provides the calcium she needs, she will begin cracking and eating them intentionally.^[16] Other hens will observe her behavior and follow her lead.
- Ground oyster shells or limestone are great sources of calcium for your chickens. Add 2lbs. (1kg) to every 100lbs. (45kg) of feed ^[17] or provide a side-feeder with these supplements for the chickens to eat.
- Give your hens a dish of fresh whole milk every day for several days to increase their calcium intake.^[18]
- Avoid using egg shells as a source of calcium for your chickens, as they may recognize them by sight or smell and begin eating them on their own. If you choose to do this, grind the shells into tiny pieces so the hens can't tell what they are.^[19]
- You may notice your eggs have softer shells when it's hot, as chickens don't retain calcium as efficiently in hot weather. Increase your chickens' calcium supplements on warmer days.^[20]
Make sure your hens have plenty of water. Even if they have a balanced, calcium-rich diet, a lack of water can cause your hens to eat the eggs for their liquid content.^[21] Hens need more water than most birds, so check to make sure they always have fresh, clean water to drink.
- You can add a vitamin supplement to the water to help your hens absorb calcium.^[22]

EditBreaking the Habit

Identify and remove the egg-eating chicken (or chickens) as soon as possible. You may not be able to catch the chicken in the act, but if you watch the flock for a few days, you should be able to identify the chicken who is responsible. The hen will have dried yolk on her beak or the side of her head, or you may see her searching the nests for eggs to eat.^[23]
- Isolate the hen from the other so she can no longer eat their eggs and they won't pick up on her bad behavior.^[24] Watch the rest of the flock to see if the egg eating stops.
- If eggs continue to be eaten, the behavior may have already spread and you may need to isolate other chickens.^[25]
- Isolating the hen may be enough of a disruption to stop her from eating the eggs.^[26]
Collect the eggs as soon as possible. Most hens lay their eggs before 10am, and the faster you remove them, the less chance there is for one of them to break and encourage the hens to eat the eggs.^[27]
- Gather eggs at least twice a day or more often if possible.^[28]
Use a dummy egg to trick the hens. Place a golf ball, a rock painted white, or a dummy egg from a feed store in each nest. Gather the real eggs as usual, but leave the dummies. When the hens peck at the "egg," they will find that it is unbreakable and no longer a source of food. They may give up trying to break the real eggs.^[29]
- You can also blow out a raw egg by poking a hole on the top and bottom and blowing out the contents with an egg. Then fill it with mustard and replace it in the nest. Chickens do not like mustard and this can teach them very quickly that eggs are not tasty at all.^[30]
Use blinders, debeak, or cull the egg-eating chicken if you cannot break her of this behavior. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to get chickens to stop eating eggs once they have started. If you have tried everything and your hen continues to go on egg-destroying rampages, you may need to go to extreme measures by debeaking (removing the sharp tip of the hen's beak with a hot blade) or killing the chicken.^[31]
- If you are not willing to go take those measures, you can buy special blinders that will prevent the hen from seeing things straight on. If she can only see from the side, it will be difficult for her to successfully find and peck an egg.^[32]
- You can also permanently isolate the hen or keep her separated from the others until after most of the eggs have been laid and collected. She may continue to destroy her own eggs, but the other eggs will be safe (unless the hens lay more eggs once she rejoins the flock).^[33]