Q&A for How to Keep Chickens from Eating Their Own Eggs

If they break when you pick them up or when they are just laid, then your hen probably has a calcium deficiency. You may want to supplement calcium into their diet.

This is probably because the shell was never formed, which is completely normal when your hens are just starting to lay. Give it a week or two for the hens to start laying properly.

Nope, they are toxic uncooked. If you would like to feed them potatoes, the best way is to boil it and/or mash it. Chickens love potato when it is soft and easy to digest.

You should be collecting your chicken eggs every morning or afternoon - once every day. During the summer time or when you have hot weather in your location you must collect the eggs more often - every morning and afternoon.

Your chickens may feel the nesting box is unsafe or constantly occupied. Try moving it or adding a new one. Fill it with something comfy (and possibly a "dummy" egg to lure them). Remember, chickens need their privacy when laying so make sure it is in a safe and comfortable location.

If nothing here worked (and you've persisted with these methods), I'd suggest giving up and either keeping the chickens solely as companion pets or giving them to a rescue. Debeaking is painful and cruel and certainly not worth it.

Different chickens have different preferences. One chicken might like lettuce, while the other might prefer to go for the peas. Try various vegetables and see which one suits.

They might be deficient in calcium, so offer them oyster shells. Know your hens laying schedule and remove eggs as soon as possible. They could also be bored. Give them perch bars, let them free range and feed them live insects to direct their attention away from the eggs.

It seems like they need a calcium boost. You can add more calcium to their diet by feeding them layers pellet or crushing up old egg or oyster shells and adding it to their feed.

First of all, a high quality feed is key to good eggs, but she also needs calcium which should be supplemented through crushed egg shells or oyster shells.

Yes, curry powder might be just as good. But if that method isn't working, try to purchase some mustard and see if that works better for you.

No, eggs are not harmful to their health. After, all they ate it in the egg when they hatched. My chickens like scrambled, raw, or boiled eggs, although I don't give it to them that often. It is perfectly safe for hens to eat eggs.

Maybe the rooster has taught them bad habits by eating the eggs in front of them.

Crush up eggshells and mix it with some insects for chicken feed.

You can feed chickens almost all vegetables that we eat, but there are a few exceptions including potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, onions and such. Also some fruits, such as citrus aren't good for them. Apple seeds are also toxic and might kill your chicken.

Yes, and it's good for their gut/digestion tract.

Yes, go ahead! Chickens love rice and any other leftover table scraps.

There's no quick way of incubation. Patience is the key and will reward you with plenty of chicks.

An average chicken molt can last anywhere between 2 and 6 months. Early molters will typically molt for 4 to 6 months, while late molters will molt for 2 to 3 months. The late molters are the ones who produce more eggs.

No, they can get a sour crop from digesting too much.

See a vet.

This could indicate that your chickens need an increase in calcium in their diet.

Chickens will eat just about anything, and their eggs contain a good deal of protein. You do not have to feed the chickens eggs at all. If they aren't breaking and eating their own eggs, you don't have a problem.

No, you shouldn't give uncooked rice to your chickens. If your chickens eat dry rice, it will expand in their stomachs when moisture is introduced, and this can cause serious digestive problems.

The best way to repel your chickens is to install some wire around your vegetable garden to separate the chickens from your veggie plots.

Consult a vet for advice.

Try leaving oyster shells in the cage. He could have a calcium shortage and might be eating the eggshells as a result. Make sure he is getting a well balanced diet. You could also try making sure that he is not bored.

Give it some space and back away. Do not hurt it or it probably will attack worse. Don't worry about it.

Hybrid breeds are good for breeding. They can lay lots of eggs whilst consuming a very tiny amount of food, so they're cheaper to breed.

That may be a "wind" egg. These tend to be yolk-less. If not, you may have just chosen bantams. If it is a wind egg, they should eventually go back to normal.