Hens eating their eggs

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Cat

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Hens eating their eggs
« on: May 22, 2009, 08:05 »
Hi

This morning when I went to collect the eggs I saw one of my girls with a big egg shell in her beak running away from the others and they were all eating a broken egg.  :ohmy: And I not giving them enough calcium. We dry out our egg shells in the oven and crush them up and add this to their food.

I think this happens quite often because we used to get about 4/5 eggs a day and now we are down to 3. The girl that had the big piece in her mouth is the biggest hen I have. She is quite a bit bigger than the other ones.

What am I doing wrong??

thanks
Lead, follow or get out of the way

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Vember

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Re: Hens eating their eggs
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2009, 08:58 »
These things happen Cat, it might have started after one layed a softshell and they got the taste for it  :(

Is it possible to give them some oyster shell as well as their own shell?

I have read that some people blow an egg and re-fill it with mustard, so when they break it it tastes so nasty that they never do it again  :)

Only other thing would be to get at the eggs first, but this isn't always practical :)


Sarah :D

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Cat

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Re: Hens eating their eggs
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2009, 02:28 »
Hi Sarah

I was watching them this morning and it seems like they only do it with one hens eggs. There were 2 other eggs but they didn't touch them.  It took them a few seconds to eat the egg  :wacko:

They get crab shells instead of oyster shells.

I think I am going to have to blow an egg and fill it.

Thanks
Cat

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marygall

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Re: Hens eating their eggs
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2009, 07:48 »
I used to give my hens thier own egg shells baked and crushed as the only calcium and I eventually got soft eggs. I don't think it's enough, though it might just be coincidence that when I started with the oyster shell, the soft shells stopped. I found a few remains of soft shells but not much egg left for a while but fortunately mine don't seem to have picked up the habit. They do get plenty of variety and they get out to free range in a large garden. Could it be boredom?
My son dropped an egg in the run one morning and all the hens helped to eat it - maybe you've got one who breaks the egg and the others just take advantage of the free meal?
I'd be interested to know if the mustard egg works...

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Cat

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Re: Hens eating their eggs
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2009, 09:53 »
Does anybody know if dried cuttle fish is good for chickens?

If they are, should I smash them up or give it to them whole?? And other forms of shells? like muscle shells?

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Vember

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Re: Hens eating their eggs
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2009, 11:08 »
I offered mine a whole one once Cat :) Turned their noses up at it :(

So long as it's well washed, the salt on it straight from the sea wouldn't do them any good but I'd say defo worth a try smashing it up and maybe adding it to their feed :)


Found this info on cleaning the salt off by soaking it for a bit:
If you soak them in fresh water, and change the water a couple of times

Sarah :)

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Cat

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Re: Hens eating their eggs
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2009, 23:40 »
Thanks for that info. I gave them cuttle fish yesterday and they really loved it. I crushed it up and added it to their food.


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