Have you ever gone to collect eggs from your chicken coop only to discover broken shells and sticky yolk messes instead of those beautiful farm-fresh eggs? If so. you’ve encountered one of the most frustrating challenges of chicken keeping – egg eating!
I’ve been raising backyard chickens for years now, and let me tell you, watching your precious protein supply get gobbled up by the very creatures that laid them is enough to make you pull your hair out! But don’t worry – I’m gonna share all the nitty-gritty details about why chickens develop this annoying habit and how you can stop it for good.
Understanding Why Chickens Eat Their Eggs
First things first, chickens aren’t being malicious when they eat their eggs This behavior usually starts innocently and then becomes a hard-to-break habit. Let’s dig into the main reasons why your feathered friends might be snacking on their own creations
1. Nutritional Deficiencies
One of the most common reasons chickens eat their eggs is because they’re lacking something in their diet Think about it – eggs are packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals If your hens aren’t getting enough of these nutrients in their regular feed, they might turn to eggs to fill the gap.
Your laying hens need feed with at least 16% protein content. When they’re not getting enough protein from their regular diet, those nutrient-rich eggs start looking mighty tasty!
Calcium deficiency is another big culprit. Hens need calcium to produce strong eggshells. When they’re running low, they might instinctively eat eggs to reclaim some of that calcium. It’s like their body’s way of recycling!
2. Accidental Discovery
Sometimes egg-eating starts completely by accident. A hen might accidentally break an egg while shifting around in the nest box. Once that yolk is exposed, curiosity takes over, they take a peck, and – boom! – they’ve discovered a delicious treat.
As one chicken keeper noted on Silver Fox Farm’s blog: “I can’t really blame a chicken for wanting to taste this rainbow!”
3. Stress and Boredom
Just like humans sometimes stress-eat, chickens under stress or suffering from boredom may develop unhealthy habits like egg-eating. Chickens are intelligent creatures that need mental stimulation. When they’re cooped up with nothing to do, they may get into mischief.
Common stressors include:
- Overcrowding
- Excessive heat
- Predator pressure
- Constant disturbances
- Not enough foraging opportunities
4. Inadequate Nesting Areas
If your nesting boxes aren’t comfy or there aren’t enough of them, eggs might get broken more easily, leading to accidental egg eating. The general rule is to provide at least one nesting box for every 4-5 hens, and they should be about 12 inches by 12 inches in size.
Nests should be positioned at least 2 feet above the ground and approximately 4 feet away from roosting areas to prevent contamination and breakage.
5. Learned Behavior
Here’s the real problem – chickens are copycats! Once one hen starts eating eggs, others will often learn by watching. This is why addressing the issue quickly is super important before it spreads through your entire flock.
6. Weak Eggshells
Eggs with thin or weak shells break more easily, creating opportunities for chickens to discover the yummy insides. This often goes hand-in-hand with calcium deficiency but can also be related to other factors like heat stress or certain medications.
7. Improper Egg Collection Routine
If you’re not collecting eggs frequently enough, they have more opportunity to get broken and eaten. This is especially true in warm weather when eggs are more fragile or during times when hens are particularly active in the nesting areas.
How to Identify the Egg-Eating Culprit
Before you can solve the problem, you need to figure out which hen is the troublemaker. Here are some detective strategies:
1. Look for Evidence
Check for yolk or egg residue on your chickens’ beaks and faces. The guilty party often has the evidence right on their face!
2. Set Up Surveillance
If you’re really determined, set up a camera to monitor the nesting boxes during peak laying times. This might seem extreme, but it’s a surefire way to catch them in the act.
3. Use a “Bait Egg”
Create a bait egg by emptying an egg and filling it with something unpleasant but safe, like mustard. When a chicken pecks at it and gets a mouthful of mustard instead of delicious yolk, you’ll know who the culprit is by their reaction!
4. Observe Behavior Patterns
Egg-eaters often show telltale behaviors like hanging around nesting boxes more than necessary or getting visibly excited when eggs are laid.
12 Proven Solutions to Stop Egg Eating
Now for the part you’ve been waiting for – how to break this frustrating habit! Here are the strategies that have worked for me and countless other chicken keepers:
1. Improve Nutrition
Make sure your hens are getting a well-balanced diet with adequate protein (at least 16%) and calcium (3-4%).
What worked for me: I switched to Green Mountain Organic Coarse Layer feed, and sometimes ferment it for extra nutrition. I also let my birds free-range regularly so they can forage for insects and greens.
2. Provide Free-Choice Calcium
Always offer a separate dish of calcium supplements like crushed oyster shells. Chickens are smart about taking what they need when it’s available.
Pro tip: You can even feed finely crushed eggshells back to your flock for calcium, but make sure they’re crushed beyond recognition so they don’t associate the shells with eggs.
3. Use Fake Eggs
Place ceramic eggs, wooden eggs, or even golf balls in the nesting boxes. Chickens will peck at these “eggs” but get frustrated when they can’t break them. Eventually, they’ll give up.
One chicken keeper shared: “Our fake ceramic eggs have endured a lot as former (and now reformed) egg eaters tried to crack them.”
4. Try the Mustard Egg Trick
This is an old-timer trick that sometimes works wonders:
- Make a small hole in an egg and drain the contents
- Fill the empty shell with mustard or hot sauce
- Place it in the nesting box
When the chicken pecks at it, they’ll get a nasty surprise that may discourage future egg attacks. However, not everyone has success with this method – some hens apparently like spicy food!
5. Collect Eggs Frequently
One of the simplest solutions is to collect eggs several times throughout the day. The less time eggs spend in the nesting box, the less opportunity chickens have to eat them.
I try to check for eggs at least 3-4 times daily during peak laying season.
6. Install Roll-Away Nesting Boxes
These special nesting boxes have a sloped floor that causes eggs to roll safely away into a collection area as soon as they’re laid. The hens literally can’t reach them to eat them!
One farmer noted: “When your hen lays an egg in the tray, the egg will roll down into a protected area that she cannot reach.”
7. Keep Nesting Boxes Clean and Comfortable
Make sure nesting material is soft and plentiful to cushion eggs and prevent accidental breakage. Replace soiled or flattened bedding regularly.
“Our birds love to kick the extra bedding out of their nest boxes, but a soft, cushioned interior helps prevent the eggs from breaking as birds move in and out to lay,” shares a chicken keeper from Silver Fox Farm.
8. Provide Entertainment and Enrichment
Bored chickens get into trouble! Give your flock plenty to do:
- Hang a cabbage or lettuce for them to peck at
- Create a “chicken playground” with perches at different heights
- Scatter treats for them to forage
- Add a dust bathing area
- Install a chicken swing (yes, they love these!)
9. Reduce Stress in the Coop
Make sure your chickens have enough space (at least 4 square feet per bird inside the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the run). Keep predators away and minimize sudden changes to their environment.
10. Darken Nesting Boxes
Chickens are less likely to peck at eggs they can’t see clearly. Darkening the nesting boxes by adding a curtain or designing boxes that are more enclosed can help discourage egg eating.
11. Blow Out Problem Eggs
Another trick is to blow out the contents of an egg, creating a hollow shell, and place it in the nesting box. When chickens peck at it, they’ll find it unsatisfying and may give up the behavior.
12. Separate Persistent Offenders
If all else fails and you can identify which hen is the troublemaker, you might need to separate her temporarily from the flock. Sometimes breaking the habit requires a change of environment.
What About Culling?
I know this is a tough topic, but it needs to be addressed. In extreme cases where nothing else works, some farmers choose to cull (remove from the flock) persistent egg-eaters. This is absolutely a last resort and a personal decision each chicken keeper must make based on their own circumstances.
As Silver Fox Farm notes: “If you’ve exhausted all your options and your chickens will not stop eating eggs, then you may want to consider culling them. Of course, this is absolutely a last resort.”
Personally, I’ve found that implementing multiple strategies simultaneously usually resolves the issue without having to take such drastic measures.
Preventing Egg Eating Before It Starts
As with most problems, prevention is easier than cure! Here’s how to set up your flock for success from the beginning:
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Start with good nutrition – Make sure your chickens always have access to quality feed appropriate for their life stage.
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Design proper nesting boxes – Ensure they’re the right size, in the right location, and there are enough for your flock size.
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Establish a consistent egg collection routine – Train yourself to check for eggs regularly throughout the day.
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Introduce fake eggs early – Some chicken keepers place ceramic or wooden eggs in nesting boxes from the start to train hens not to peck at eggs.
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Only feed cooked eggs – If you feed eggs back to your chickens (which is nutritious and fine to do), always cook them first so they don’t develop a taste for raw eggs.
Real Success Stories
I once had a Barred Rock hen named Pepper who became an egg eater after accidentally breaking an egg during a particularly stressful heat wave. I implemented fake eggs, more frequent collection, and added some fun foraging activities to keep her busy. Within two weeks, she’d forgotten all about her egg-eating ways!
Another chicken keeper shared: “We had two Marans that were relentless egg eaters. They were smart enough to know who laid what, and consistently devoured the other hen’s eggs.” After trying multiple interventions, they ultimately had to make the difficult decision to cull these hens to protect the productivity of their flock.
Egg eating can be a frustrating problem, but with patience and the right approach, it’s usually solvable. Remember that this behavior typically starts innocently – your chickens aren’t trying to spite you by eating their eggs! They’re responding to nutritional needs, stress, or simply opportunity.
By addressing the root causes and implementing several of the solutions I’ve shared, you’ll be back to collecting beautiful, intact eggs in no time. And remember – every flock is different, so don’t be afraid to try different combinations of these strategies until you find what works for your particular chickens.
Have you dealt with egg-eating in your flock? What strategies worked best for you? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below!
Disclaimer: This article contains general information about chicken keeping and is not intended to replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult with a poultry veterinarian for health concerns related to your flock.
Why Do Chickens Eat Their Eggs?
Eggs are not bad for chickens. In fact, they are quite a nutritious snack that chickens love! However, an egg eating habit in your flock can get annoying and be a waste of precious fresh eggs for you. You can give your flock eggs on your terms, but the eggs they lay shouldn’t be a free-for-all buffet! Hens don’t naturally want to crack and eat the egg that they laid. So, an egg eating habit is usually caused by some external factor that can be prevented. Here are some common causes that may trigger an egg eating habit within your flock:
- Nutrient deficiency– Hens that are craving protein or need more calcium in their diet may resort to egg eating in order to meet their dietary needs. A feed that is nutritionally lacking can also lead to dietary deficiencies that can cause hens to eat their own eggs for needed nutrition.
- Boredom– Hens who are bored may turn their curiosity onto the delicious oval snacks they lay every day. Boredom can especially become a problem during the winter or when birds must be cooped up.
- Acquired taste– Once a hen acquires a taste for raw egg and associates the eggs she lays with that taste, it can lead to a bad egg eating habit that is hard to break.
Plenty of Litter
Speaking of nesting boxes, you can prevent egg breakage by making sure each nesting box has sufficient litter that is cushy. When a hen lays an egg, the egg drops a short distance. Cushy nesting box litter is essential to keeping that egg from breaking! On average, you want about 2 inches of nesting box litter in each nesting box. The litter should be of cushy nesting materials. Hens especially seem to like wood shavings or straw for nesting. Artificial grass mats are also a popular nesting box liner that can prevent egg breakage and are a litter that hens can’t toss out of the nesting box. However, grass mats may not be as appealing to hens, which can lead to hens laying their eggs in other locations around the coop.
Why Chickens Eat Their Eggs (and HOW to STOP Them!)
FAQ
How do I stop my chickens from eating their eggs?
Is it normal for chickens to eat their own eggs?
What does it mean if a chicken eats an egg?
Chickens eat their own eggs due to nutritional deficiencies, particularly a lack of calcium or protein, and behavioral issues like boredom, stress, and curiosity after an accidental egg breakage. Other factors include inadequate nesting boxes, overcrowding, and the instinct to eliminate evidence of a broken egg from predators.
What to give chickens when they eat their eggs?
Try adding calcium (oyster shell) to their diet and consider using ceramic eggs as a decoy to the real thing. It helped with mine when they were eating the eggs.