cannibal chicken

n9lhm · Dec 3, 2012

I have two chickens on a hobby farm. I'm not home during the day to keep an eye on them. I have a buff orpington that I think has gone cannibal, she hasn't been laying (which I thought was due to the fall molt) but today I see there are a few large pieces of shell in her cage. I think she may have eaten the egg. Any ideas on what to do if I'm not home to watch her when she does it? Thanks, Brian

Anonymous-0 · Dec 3, 2012

there lacking something in there feed

notjustair · Dec 3, 2012

Never found a way to break an egg eater. I think orpingtons are bad about that. The eaters I have had were orpies. I just always butcher them if I can figure out who it is.

I have heard tell that folks have used a bench grinder to bring down their beaks and that has stopped them. Some folks say feed them eggs shells for calcium but I never do. They say it isn't suppose to make them egg hungry but I don't trust it.

If you have lights on the the chicken house switch to red bulbs. They calm them. Also make sure they can get out and have plenty to do. Throw old prairie hay in the run and they will spend hours digging through it. Also helps keep the mud down (if it ever rains again). Anything to keep them busy may help her leave the nesting box and not start eating.

SweetFeet · Dec 3, 2012

My grandparents always feed their chickens chipped up oyster shells for calcium. Maybe she is just eating the shells trying to get calcium.

Bob Huntress · Dec 3, 2012

The only cure for egg eating chickens is to sit in the freezer until you serve them with a BBQ sauce. Perhaps it is the BBQ sauce, because once they are soaked well in it, they never eat another egg.

Motorcraftman · Dec 3, 2012

I have Some White Silkies.. And they have been eating Their Eggs, UNTIL recently they have been laying real Good, and Leaving them alone,It Beats me!! I've done nothing different,But have been Enjoying freshy Eggs recently, Bty; they have always had Oyster shells at their convenience,, Larry

JayinNY · Dec 3, 2012

I have the same problem, I have 40 hens, and I'm not here all day. I hate when they eat the eggs and the yolk sticks to the good eggs along with the sawdust, crap ect! I used to give them ground ostyer shell, and I'm
Thinking of just throwing the egg shells after breakfast out for them to eat, but I'm afraid that will encourage them to eat the eggs? Like they say chickens will peck at anything they can get a response from.

rustred · Dec 3, 2012

yes, thats what we did also, give them oyster shells.
if i remember right i think it also made the egg shells harder.

JayinNY · Dec 3, 2012

Yes your right, it does make a harder shell in older layers.

jbp · Dec 3, 2012

The only way to break them from eating eggs is to make chicken and dumplings of them. Joe

Indiana Ken · Dec 3, 2012

This does not answer your question however, perhaps it shows the birds are just "hard wired" to eat egg shells.

Every year I start a dozen turkeys and then put them in the garden as the harvest progresses. They get table scraps and are especially fond of sweet corn and water melon. To my point - whenever there are egg shells (broken open) in the scraps they fight over the shells before they eat the melon or sweet corn. They had never seen a egg before....how do they know?

Traditional Farmer · Dec 3, 2012

Give her some Oyster Shells laying chickens need lots of Calcium.Also something like Turnips to pick on will help also.Hard to break them once they start though

Don-Wi · Dec 3, 2012

Ginving them egg shells doesn't make them any more of an egg eater than they already are. My parents give theirs the old egg shells all the time. I think they've got 50-60 laying hens and if any are suspected of eating eggs, they get segregated and if the eggs stay intact, that chicken either runs around the farm yard or goes in someone's freezer.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Anonymous-0 · Dec 3, 2012

Mine do that sometime although they are let out every day.Give them the shells after you use the contents.

CenTex Farmall · Dec 3, 2012

Have had this once in a while production reds. They smash into the egg and eat the yoke. If it was the shell she was after, you wouldn't be finding it.

Something is missing in the diet. Are they confined? Do they have a "run" they can move around in and get at some grass?
Mine run loose and get put away at night. They eat what they want and get table scraps and egg shells from cooking. They won't gobble the shells but will pick at them sometimes.

Chickens are omnivores and need some protein. Bugs are harder to come by in the winter. Try giving some fat or meat scraps from the table or a little cat food.

Bret4207 · Dec 4, 2012

Oyster shell will provide some of what they need. Apple cider vinegar in their water helps too, I forget why. We feed ours waste milk, table scraps, the odd fish that goes bad, anything the hogs don't get. Our chickens love tomatoes, I always thought it was the red color. Any poor frog or snake wanders into their yard dies a pretty quick death.

We had Buff Orpingtons. They never seemed anymore inclined to eat eggs than any other breed. I think once you get one egg eater she teaches the others to do it.

n9lhm · Dec 4, 2012

Thanks for all the quick replies! I will pick up some oyster shell today. I let them out for an hour or so twice a day, and give them meat scraps as well. I"ll remember to try giving them egg shells when we have eggs.

Thanks, Brian

Mike (WA) · Dec 4, 2012

Make sure your nest boxes are very well bedded- sometimes the egg eating starts when an egg breaks on a hard surface- but I agree with the others, once one starts, its hard to break her, and others will get the idea. Time for some chicken an' dumplins.

Traditional Farmer · Dec 4, 2012

Also you might want ot look at those nest boxes where the egg rolls out the back where the hens can't ge to it

Bret4207 · Dec 5, 2012

It's recommended you bake or microwave the egg shells and crsh them if youre going to give it tot he chickens. I guess that's to keep them from getting the idea it's egg!

cannibal chicken

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