Can Chickens Eat Eggs
Yes, chickens can eat eggs. In fact, chickens will often eat their own eggs if given the opportunity. Eating eggs is a natural behavior for chickens, and it can provide them with important nutrients. However, it is generally not recommended to feed chickens their own eggs on a regular basis, as it can lead to nutritional imbalances and can even cause the chickens to stop laying eggs altogether.
A hen that is not getting enough protein from the proper protein of the hens diet will seek to get it from somewhere else, including her own eggs. A chicken suffering from a protein deficiency will try to get protein from other sources, such as plucking feathers and eating eggs. A diet with little protein will encourage egg eating simply because the hen is trying to get the nutrients she needs. Protein deficiency is a common problem leading to egg eating — hens are not getting what they need.
If you are collecting less eggs than expected, even if your chickens are producing good numbers, it is possible the birds are eating eggs. Consumption is difficult to correct after the hens have been doing this for a while. This technique also trains the chickens to believe eggs taste bad, and they never attempt to consume eggs again. Cook eggs to remove any taste of the raw eggs, just the slightest hint of a flavor can encourage a chicken to begin eating the raw ones.
If you do choose to give eggshells to chickens again, thoroughly wash and mill them down into extremely fine pieces to avoid encouraging any eggs being eaten, by either taste or by sight. If you are feeding chickens eggshells for calcium, crush them to a powder so the chickens will not associate it with eggs. Wash and dry eggshells, store them in plastic bags, and crush or mill before feeding to your chickens. Whether you are feeding scrambled eggs to chickens, or eggs cooked hard, be sure to save your eggshells, wash, dry, mill, and give to chickens again.
| Situations | Explanations |
| Protein Deficiency | A chicken suffering from a protein deficiency will try to get protein from other sources, such as plucking feathers and eating eggs. |
| Birds can eat eggs | If you are collecting less eggs than expected, even if your chickens are producing good numbers |
Do not feed your chickens raw eggs all the time, for two reasons; the best way to give eggs to your hens is once they are cooked. As long as the cooked eggs are free of the shell, the younger chickens will not get the urge to consume the raw eggs.
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The key is not feeding raw eggs to your birds, but disguising the eggs you are feeding them so that they do not associate the eggs you are feeding them with the round things that are left each day in their nest boxes. If you feed or encourage your chickens to eat raw eggs, there is a possibility your chickens may get into a habit of doing it, and may even consume eggs of their own right out of the nesting box. You mill your eggs out of eggshells because you do not want your chickens to know that they are eating eggshells as they may develop a taste for them, and they may start eating their own eggs later on, which is something we do not want.
When chickens are low on calcium, they may try to eat their eggs; the best thing to do in that situation is provide them with enough of the calcium that they need. To increase the quality and extend the lifespan of chickens, they should feed their eggs, including their shells, to allow them to recover nutrients they have lost from producing eggs so frequently. I will be going more in-depth in answering common questions regarding this subject, but I do want to emphasize that while chickens may eat eggs, it is important that they are fed a balanced diet.
Many of the practices in this list are not only good ways to keep your chickens from eating eggs, they are good ways to make sure that backyard chickens are happy and healthy. The remainder of this post covers easy, practical steps that you can take to ensure that your surroundings are safe, healthy, and antidote for your chickens eating eggs. Consider including one of these easy hacks to keep chickens from eating their eggs — it will pay big dividends down the road.
To keep your layers from eating their own eggs, you can use a recommended method to debeak the hens. Provide free-choice oyster shells for your hens, which are high in calcium, if your chickens are eating their eggs due to being low in calcium. Keep eggshells strong by feeding your hens a calcium supplement – typically sold as oyster shells – in the free-choice crate. Add calcium supplements like crushed eggshells and oyster shells to your layer food to keep eggs from being weak-shelled and easy to break.
If you do not want eggs to be wasted, you may wish to first cook the eggs before feeding them to the birds. In that respect, you should harvest eggs, particularly ones that are a little distorted, in order to make eggs for your chickens. It can be disappointing when you are trying to collect fresh eggs, only to discover the hens ate them. If left with the rest of your coop, one hens behaviour may rub off on others, which will reduce the amount of eggs you are able to collect even more.
Do not be afraid to give some eggs to your chickens, especially if they enjoy them, but keep in mind that eggs go bad, so do not give them any older ones. Yes, it is a good choice to use if you do not have enough chickens producing eggs, which is what you are going to have to feed the chickens.
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When chickens are laying their eggs, trying to crack some of the ceramic eggs, they will find it impossible to break, and that (hopefully) discourages them from eating all of the real eggs.
What happens if a chicken eats an egg?
If a chicken’s calcium levels are low, it might start eating its eggs. A chicken in need of calcium will seek out egg shell as a supplement to its diet. Additionally, chickens could eat their eggs by mistake, and a fowl can easily break an egg in a crowded chicken coop.
What can chickens not eat?
Food leftovers that are heavy in fat or salt should never be served to hens, and food that is rancid or rotten should never be given to them. Raw potatoes, avocados, chocolate, onions, garlic, citrus fruits, uncooked rice, and uncooked beans are a few specific food items that hens shouldn’t be given .
Why do vegans not eat eggs from their own chickens?
No, vegans are unable to consume eggs, even those produced by their own hens. The eggs that chickens lay are part of their normal reproductive cycle; they are not produced for human use. Eggs taken from hens for food or profit is considered exploitation and is prohibited for individuals who live vegan lifestyles.