🥚🐔 Why Hens Eat Their Eggs (and How to Stop It!)
You head out to the nest box, excited for your fresh eggs… only to find a sticky mess and a very guilty-looking hen. Yep, egg eating is a real problem in some flocks—and once one chicken gets a taste for it, others often join in. But don’t panic—let’s crack this mystery wide open and figure out why it happens and how to put a stop to it.
🤔 Why Do Hens Eat Their Eggs?
There are a few reasons your hens might turn into sneaky egg-snackers:
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Accidental Discovery – Sometimes an egg breaks by accident (thin shells, overcrowding, or a clumsy hen). Once they taste it, they realise it’s delicious and start actively seeking them out.
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Nutritional Deficiency – Chickens need plenty of protein and calcium. If their diet is lacking, they may turn to eggs as a quick fix for those missing nutrients.
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Boredom – A bored chicken is a mischievous chicken. If there’s nothing else to do, pecking at eggs can become a bad habit.
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Stress or Overcrowding – Cramped nest boxes or stressed hens may damage eggs accidentally, leading to egg eating.
🛠️ How to Prevent Egg Eating
🍽️ 1. Boost Their Nutrition
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Provide a balanced layer feed with extra calcium (oyster shell grit works wonders).
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Offer protein-rich treats like mealworms, sunflower seeds, or scrambled eggs (yes, cooked eggs—hens love them and it won’t cause confusion).
🥚 2. Collect Eggs Often
The fewer eggs sitting around, the fewer opportunities for hens to break into them. Aim to collect at least twice a day.
🏠 3. Fix the Nest Box
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Provide enough nest boxes (one for every 3–4 hens).
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Keep them dark and private—hens are less likely to peck eggs in a cosy, quiet nest.
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Add plenty of nesting material to cushion eggs and prevent accidental cracking.
🎲 4. Break the Habit with Tricks
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Fake eggs: Pop ceramic or wooden eggs in the nest. Hens will get bored of pecking when nothing happens.
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Mustard egg: Some chicken keepers blow out an egg, fill the shell with mustard, and put it back in the nest. One nasty taste is often enough to stop the habit!
🐓 5. Keep Them Busy
Scatter feed, hang up a cabbage, or give them perches and dust baths. A busy hen is a happy hen—and far less likely to snack on her own eggs.
✅ Final Cluck
Egg eating might be frustrating, but it’s usually just a sign of a nutritional gap, boredom, or an accidental bad habit. With the right fixes—better feed, regular egg collecting, and a few clever tricks—you can protect your eggs and keep your hens clucking happily.
Fresh eggs for you, full bellies for them, and no more messy surprises in the nest box! 🥚✨
