# Chickens Breaking Eggs - And Idiot Nephew



## yag113 (Nov 28, 2012)

Recently I've noticed broken eggs in my nesting boxes. Then saw my nephew who sometimes gathers eggs for me throwing several on the ground for the chickens to eat!!!! I said...what the F--- are you doing? He said I always give them a few, they love them. NOW they are laying eggs and turning around, breaking them open and eating them. Maybe not all of the hens but some of them. I get a few eggs but I have about 30 chickens! I used to get about 18 a day. Is there anyway to cure this trend? I was thinking of getting a bunch of wood or plastic eggs and gathering the real ones as many times a day as possible so that attempts to break them would be thwarted by the wood or plastic...and maybe break the cycle? Any thoughts?

I even thought about a video camera to see which chickens were the culprits but that would be tricky inside nesting areas.

Thanks!


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## Jabberwocky (Oct 7, 2013)

First: get rid of the nephew. Second: As for getting the hens to stop eating their eggs. 
~Six tips on breaking your egg eater~
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater

Note that some hens just never do break the habit in spite of all your efforts.

Good luck


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## babychic (Jul 27, 2014)

yikes! i bet you had to restrain yourself! you could also start giving them some hard boiled or scrambled eggs and ground up eggshells because it sounds like they need the extra nutrition and this may help them stop breaking their own eggs.

i guess you will have to gather eggs more often so they dont have a chance to break them and slowly they might stop doing it. the plastic egg idea sounds like a good one. 

i notice now that its colder out, our girls are eating alot more. they really like their ground up eggshells. do they get other foods other than feed or do they forage? if they have more options to keep them occupied and more satisfied maybe they wont be as inclined to break their eggs. its really too bad your nephew taught them to do that. hopefully they will stop once you implement some of these suggestions you have received from everyone. let us know how it goes and so sorry to hear about that.

our chickens are enjoying all the squash and pumpkin that is in season now and since its in their nature to forage they are more happy when they have lots to do. 
we also ferment our organic feed and add lentils spllit peas and different things and they really like that too.


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

Roll out nest boxes might be helpful. It will take the egg away from the hen the moment she gets up.


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## yag113 (Nov 28, 2012)

Thank you so much.... I read through the egg breaking article and all of the comments... lots of good ideas. Get rid of the nephew was also amongst my favorite suggestions! LOL.... I also have some peacocks living with my chickens and they could be part of the problem. It's hard to know who or what is to blame without spending several days observing, and if you did they would behave differently because you were watching! 

I have made some changes in the height and location of the nest boxes so it would be awkward for the giant peafowl to get at them.... and they are boxes so too small for the peas to get in them. That at least eliminates them from the equation. 

But of course there are other issues. The days I let them out to free range I have to close off the chicken house otherwise my smallest goat goes through the little chicken door and eats the feed....so I have a single nest box on the outside with a real small opening to keep goat heads out of there as well! 

The fun never ends!

Thanks...


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## yag113 (Nov 28, 2012)

hellofromtexas said:


> Roll out nest boxes might be helpful. It will take the egg away from the hen the moment she gets up.


I'll have to check into the nature of the roll out boxes.... the eggs would have to roll to a safe place. Away from the chickens and peacocks... but I like the idea in general! Thanks


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## yag113 (Nov 28, 2012)

I like the roll out egg concept.... I assume the floor is slanted and assume you don't use any bedding....but do you put anything on the floor?


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Some people use nest box liners, others that green outdoor carpet (I'd thing that'd be hard to clean).


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## littlelimabean (Oct 21, 2014)

I am bad just like your nephew, I too give the eggs out to the girls! My experience with broken eggs is this, I have often found an egg laid on the roost or even in a box with a single peck on it. I was told that that egg was not acceptable and the hen pecked it for that reason and sometimes that egg will be eaten by others that come across it. I have also seen my girls lay a broken egg and even a shell-less egg. I thought that they were "egg eaters" too until I discovered that.


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## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

Hens will eat anything but they may be lacking some nutrition


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