Can Chickens Eat Eggs? This is a common question for most poultry farmers.
They become concerned when they notice that their chickens are eating their own laid eggs.
Does it cause any health issues, and how to stop this? Let’s find out the answer.
In times of stress, chickens can add protein to their diet by eating eggs full of vitamins and minerals.
Chickens must only be given eggs that are cooked. Eating raw eggs is a difficult habit to break because once your chickens start, the rest flocks follow them.
Sometimes this type of issue happens, and chickens start eating their eggs. It is a major concern for farmers who want to sell eggs for breeding purposes.
Are Eggs Good For Chickens Feeding?
Yes, eggs are a good source of protein for both humans and chickens. They are rich in natural vitamin supplements.
You should be more careful when feeding eggs to chickens. If you do not teach them to eat raw eggs, they will eat them, so always give them cooked or boiled eggs.
Ensure the eggs are well cooked before you provide them to your chicken flocks. Eggs are also suitable for weak baby chicks and stressed chickens.
Why Are Your Chickens Eating Their Eggs?
A chicken will develop this habit for various reasons.
When a chicken has low levels of calcium, then it may start eating eggs. Calcium deficiencies will make your chicken seek a suppliant diet of eggshells.
Chickens can also eat eggs due to accidental discovery; this happens if your coop is crowded, and the chicken can break the egg easily.
Once the egg is broken, your chicken, out of curiosity, may begin to eat the yolk and develop a taste for eggs.
Even if the egg breaking was accidental, the chicken might gradually create the behavior of eating eggs.
Is It Good To Feed Boiled Eggs To Chickens?
Boiled eggs are good for chicken; it helps to improve protein intake. Boiled eggs are also suitable for weak chicks to help them grow.
Feeding boiled eggs to your chickens is a good idea and a good source of protein. If you are not raising chicken for breeding purposes, you can feed your chicken’s eggs to other flocks.
Boiled chicken eggs are cheap alternatives to protein and vitamin supplements for weak flocks.
How To Stop Chickens To Eat Their Eggs?
Here are a few best tips to stop chickens from eating eggs:
1. Make sure your chickens are getting enough protein. The protein ratio in layers feeds should be at least 16%.
Ensure you know the suitable feed to give your chicken to supply them with enough amounts of proteins. You can supplement their diet with sunflower seeds.
2. Keep the eggshells strong. A thin shell means the chickens can easily break it and eat the egg, so you must ensure you give your chicken enough calcium to build strong shells.
You can supply your chicken with oyster shells as supplements and ensure you clean up immediately after an egg break.
3. Put a wooden egg or a golf ball in the nesting box. When the chickens try breaking it and find out if it is unbreakable, they eventually give up.
4. Fill an empty egg with English mustard. Because chickens don’t like mustard, fill an egg with mustard and place it in the nesting box. The egg eater will find out it is mustard and get turned off.
5. Collect eggs frequently. Ensure you collect your eggs 2–3 times a day.
6. Provide cushioned nesting box bedding. Ensure the nesting box has enough natural materials so that when the hen lays, the egg falls softly and does not break.
7. Keep nesting boxes dim. Ensure your nesting boxes are dark; you can install some curtains.
8. Only feed your chicken-cooked eggs. Supplementing your chicken diet with eggs is okay, but ensure the eggs are cooked before you provide them to your chicken.
9. Build slanted nesting boxes. Building a diagonal nesting box will ensure the egg rolls out of sight once a chicken lays.
10. Give your chicken plenty of things to do and peck at. A bored and stressed chicken will peck (bite) at everything, including their eggs.
You can provide homemade toys for your chicken to keep them busy and pecking at the right thing, not their eggs.
Summary (Can Chickens Eat Eggs?)
Yes, chickens can eat eggs. This is a common issue in most poultry farms.
You should only worry if you don’t want your chicken to eat eggs. Otherwise, it is ok for them.
But if your chickens are prone to breaking and eating their eggs, the breeding process stops on your chicken farm. That’s why allowing chickens to eat their eggs raw is not recommended.
You can give eggs in the boiled form to provide chickens with a few extra protein sources.
However, there is another cheap protein source like dried mealworms and oyster shells, which can fulfill your chicken’s protein and calcium deficiencies.
