Can we talk about how long it actually takes to get chickens to stop eating their own eggs? I'm at 4 months and counting.

3 comments

3 Comments

Honestly, why are we so quick to stop a natural chicken behavior? Maybe they need something we're not giving them in their feed. Could it be that the eggs are just the easiest source of good protein for them. Have you tried looking at their diet first instead of just trying to break the habit?

the_skyler1mo agoMost Upvoted

My buddy had this exact problem with his hens last year. He switched their feed to a higher protein mix and started giving them mealworms as a treat. The egg eating stopped almost completely within a week. It really does seem like they're just trying to fill a gap in their diet sometimes. Makes you wonder how often we treat the symptom instead of the cause.

linda_clark10d ago

Yeah we had the same thing happen. Added some oyster shell for calcium and started mixing in a bit of cat food for extra protein, weirdly enough. The egg breaking stopped after a few days once they had that other stuff to go for instead.