Help! My Chickens Are Eating Their Own Eggs. Any Solutions?

[RootedSoul]

Hey everyone! We've got some egg-eaters in the flock! This has been happening since last winter, but it mightve been going on longer. Weve been seeing broken eggs, yolk in the nesting boxes, and even yolk on the chickens' faces. It seems like one chicken starts eating the egg, and the rest join in. We're barely getting any eggs as it is, and now we have to buy store eggs!

Eggs are so expensive, and we want to start selling ours, but we can't do that with egg-eaters ruining our supply! Does anyone have a cheap way to stop this behavior? A camera would be hard to set up since theres no electricity in the coop, and theyre pricey anyway. Also, any ideas for a DIY automatic egg-collecting nesting box?

Thanks in advance!

[CoopConnoisseur]

You might also want to try separating the egg-eater and seeing if that helps. It could be a tough fix, but isolating the culprit for a few days to break the habit could make a difference. Be sure to monitor the flock carefully to make sure others don't pick up the bad habit.

[SustainableSoul]

I would also try creating a "secret" nesting area for the egg-eaters-away from the rest of the flock. It could be worth trying different setups until you find one that works. Sometimes, it's just a matter of changing their environment. Keep us posted!

[SunkenHarvest]

This is a tough one. I had an egg-eater in my flock and found that once one chicken starts eating eggs, the others follow. It can be a group behavior that spreads. In my case, I switched to a nesting box with a lid that only opens when the chicken enters, which helped a lot!

[FowlPlayMaster]

Try giving your chickens some boredom busters! I know it sounds odd, but chickens sometimes eat eggs out of boredom or stress. Consider hanging up some leafy greens or providing a dust bath area for them. It'll keep them occupied and might prevent them from turning to eggs.

[HenHaven]

One thing I've tried that worked was isolating the egg-eaters from the rest of the flock for a week or so. It's a bit of a hassle, but breaking the habit and then reintroducing them to the flock can help. You could also try placing golf balls in the nesting boxes to discourage egg-eating.

[HenEnthusiast]

I've had similar issues before. What worked for me was separating the chickens that were eating the eggs and isolating them for a few days. It helped break the habit. You could also try putting golf balls or ceramic eggs in the nest to discourage egg-eating behavior.

[CrowingCounselor]

Have you tried using a roll-away nesting box? They are designed so the eggs roll away as soon as they're laid, making it harder for the chickens to eat them. It could be a good DIY project to keep the eggs out of their reach!

[CoopCaptain]

You could make a DIY egg-collecting system with PVC pipe and a simple ramp. When the eggs roll down the ramp into a container, the chickens won't have access to them. There are several online guides for making one, and it's pretty cheap compared to other options.

[DustBathQueen]

Have you thought about using a chicken-friendly deterrent, like a special food additive or a hot pepper solution? Some people use crushed red pepper mixed into their chicken feed, as chickens dislike the taste, and it can sometimes stop them from eating eggs.