Chooks eating their own eggs...help

mumsy · « **Reply #15 on:** February 20, 2008, 16:35 »

They didn't touch the eggies today, but they were normal ones not softies!!!!

SnooziSuzi · « **Reply #16 on:** February 20, 2008, 17:03 »

If mine spot one that's cracked they are straight to it in order to clean it up but if the eggs not broken then they don't bother with them.

Maybe it's just an instinctive clean up thing.

mumsy · « **Reply #17 on:** February 20, 2008, 19:48 »

I have bee led to believe that they shouldn't eat any of their own product, like pigs etc, food chain & all that. Munty.... can you help out here??

richyrich7 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2008, 20:01 »

Quote from: "mumsy"

I have bee led to believe that they shouldn't eat any of their own product, like pigs etc, food chain & all that. Munty.... can you help out here??

spot on mumsy, some people feed the egg shells back to them, but in a previous conversation with Muntjac he said that he thought even that was a bad idea and oyster shell is cheap enough anyway.

muntjac · « **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2008, 20:36 »

if you feed egg shell expect them to eat thier own eggs .cannabalism isnt good in any species

ck2day · « **Reply #20 on:** February 21, 2008, 12:01 »

Confused now, one forum says slow roast the empty egg shells to make them hard (after washing them out), but dont feed oyster grit/shell as its not good for them. Another says feeding egg shell is cannabalism, me one confused chicken keeper!

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #21 on:** February 21, 2008, 23:36 »

I've done both without any problem.

I used to bake the shells and finely crush them adding them to wet feed. But I cant be bothered now so I leave a coop cup full of oyster shell and grit hanging in their run for them to snack on - which the do often. We have no shell problems and hey show no sign of breaking eggs.

If the shells are fragile they will break and the hens will then get a taste for egg.

I also give my girls some scrambled egg on occasions when I think they need a bit of extra protein like when the are moulting. I give them cat food for this purpose too. And tinned tuna in spring water !

What an old softie I am :roll:

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #22 on:** February 21, 2008, 23:46 »

A broken egg is just free food, and you know how chooks like free food!!!!! Even if they see some egg yolk on another strong egg, they can eck at it until that egg breaks, but I don't think its a conscious thing for them to try to break an egg.

And My Dad kept chooks years and years ago (he'd be 10w now if he was still alive!) and my brian kept chooks 40 odd years ago, and they always said don't feed egg shells back to the chicken, but I suppoose if its been baked like auntie said and crushed beyond recognition........ maybe its different, but I never give my girls any eggshells, stick to oyster shell and grit.

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