Help I can't keep my chickens from eating eggs. In the last five I have changed brands of feed a couple times, completely culled my flock twice and tried several different breeds. I free feed oyster shell, they have plenty of water and room. They are free range and I even shovel an outside area in the winter. I have been around chickens for 60 years and I am baffled any suggestions?

The last batch started eating eggs when they were near the end of there productive laying days. Replaced them with new layers just reaching their prime and have had no problems. We empty the nest box right away in the morning so the eggs in some cases are still warm.

Chris

I would collect eggs early and through out the day if you can. I have also spent some time watching them and try to pick out the one that's doing it,i killed a few wrong chickens before i finally got the right one.
Good luck.

I have spent hours watching chickens catch one killed it and a few days later it starts again. Current hens should be in their prime.

There may be no correlation but the last batch of chickens had clipped beaks whereas the new flock were left natural!

Chris

Never had clipped beaks, I collect eggs during the day on the weekends but my wife and I both work during the week. Have

Put blinders on the chickens and the egg eating will stop. The cheapest place I have found to buy blinders is the National Band and Tag Company in Kentucky.

I like the pinless, blue blinders best for laying hens.

Keith

I will look them up Thanks

That's interesting about the blinders, what makes that work.

We've been lucky so far, never had an egg-eater in fifteen-plus years of keeping chickens. We routinely feed our chickens cracked or old eggs (we break them open first) but they have never broken and ate a fresh unbroken egg.

My granddaughter is in charge of gathering eggs and she's a klutz, constantly dropping and cracking eggs. We have her throw the cracked ones into the pen where they smash on the ground.

In my experience once they start the only solution is a 10 qt stewpot. I always looked for the chicken with dried yolk on its beak and you need to get right on it because the other chickens learn the behavior in short order and you'll have the whole flock doing it.

Lugnut what brand of feed do you use? People keep telling me it is something they are not getting in their diet.

That's right. Golf balls or fake eggs sometimes help. Alfalfa every week or so. Lots of oyster grit. But like he said, once one starts, it teachers the others.

a beaver or deer carcass don't hurt anything either . when the egg count falls off in winter a carcass in the pin will bring it right back up

crockpot is the only sure cure

You can try blowing the insides out and filling it with hot sauce. I've heard it works, but have never tried it.

Now that is an idea!

Chris

If it doesn't work you have preseasoned chicken!

Chris

We fed Purina Layena pellets up until last year when my wife started getting a different brand at the local Agway. We supplement with table scraps.

You can believe it or not, but feed um pork rinds, it’ll stop the egg eating, they are needing more protein in they’re diet.