# My chickens have started eating their eggs-help!



## amanda (Nov 7, 2012)

Does anyone else have or have they experienced this problem. What can I do.?


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Mine only do that when the egg is laid soft shell. Are yours going after them in the nest box when they are hard shell?


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## haley4217 (Dec 30, 2012)

Do you keep oyster shell or some other source of calcium for them to eat as needed? The only time I've heard of egg eating is when they're experiencing calcium deficiencies. I mix about a 3 lb coffee can of oyster shell in with a 50 lb bag of food. I also found a supplement block at Tractor Supply called a "Flock Block" which has supplements including calcium. Haven't had any egg eating problems with my flock over the past two years while keeping them supplied with calcium.


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

A lot of things can come into play ...

Size of coop ...
Sise of run/free range
food/water and etc...

I need some more info.


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## Usernamez (Jan 6, 2013)

Sundancers said:


> A lot of things can come into play ...
> 
> Size of coop ...
> Sise of run/free range
> ...


This.

It can go from the shell being soft and they're interested to that they're just hungry and not getting enough food. Maybe it's being picked on by the others and is not getting fed because of the others. I too had that problem a while back.


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## amanda (Nov 7, 2012)

7chicks said:


> Mine only do that when the egg is laid soft shell. Are yours going after them in the nest box when they are hard shell?


Yep, they're free range-they come and go as they please over 14 acres, but in the last two weeks they started eating the eggs out of the nest boxes! Maybe because of all the snow we have? They don't head outside so much when it's nasty outside....


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## amanda (Nov 7, 2012)

haley4217 said:


> Do you keep oyster shell or some other source of calcium for them to eat as needed? The only time I've heard of egg eating is when they're experiencing calcium deficiencies. I mix about a 3 lb coffee can of oyster shell in with a 50 lb bag of food. I also found a supplement block at Tractor Supply called a "Flock Block" which has supplements including calcium. Haven't had any egg eating problems with my flock over the past two years while keeping them supplied with calcium.


Thanks! I will try that and see how it goes ; )


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## amanda (Nov 7, 2012)

Sundancers said:


> A lot of things can come into play ...
> 
> Size of coop ...
> Sise of run/free range
> ...


No coop (huge barn) 
Totally free range on 14 acres-they come and go from the barn as they please
Fed 3x per day, layer mash, scratch grains, cracked corn. Plus they pick up what the horses drop and also get some kitchen scraps
I'm so confused as to why they started doing this


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## CharlieEcho (Nov 25, 2012)

*I going with the calcium;*

Sounds like they are well fed and have room to run. I'd go with the calcium shortage. Our run seems to be over an old drive way or something. I provide oyster shell, but they ignore it and scratch the dirt away in their run and peck in the gravel, lots of it, they turn up.

The drive up into our barn is always being stirred up by the chickens. I rake the rocks back in at least once a week during warm weather.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

That's my first thought is calcium deficiency.


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## amanda (Nov 7, 2012)

Energyvet said:


> That's my first thought is calcium deficiency.


I think you may be right-I'm going to get them some this weekend. Thanks!


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Could use crushed up egg shells in the mean time if you have some in the kitchen compost. Or make some scrambled eggs tonight for dinner.


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## ypease (May 28, 2013)

I am going with the calcium issue as well. My hens ate 1 egg due to this issue. I usually feed Layena which has calcium and magnesium in the crumbles. For what even reason i bought flock raiser, it has no extras. I ended up buying Cal/Mag supplement for feed. It ended the issue.


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## teddy (Sep 6, 2012)

I have black sex links and red sex links. The black sex links had soft shells reds did not. The grew out of it. The black sex links give a great egg now. Large egg also. I never changed there diet or tried to stop them from eating it. It was like a dog pile. The hen would drop the soft egg as she was scratching around and every chicken and rooster would try to get some of it.


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