How to Stop Chickens from Eating Their Eggs: 10 Helpful Tips

You've waited all day for your hens to produce those farm-fresh eggs, only to find broken shells and a mess in the nesting box. If this sounds familiar, you're dealing with one of the most frustrating challenges of chicken keeping: egg eating. While uncommon, this behavior can quickly spread throughout your flock and significantly reduce egg harvest.

The good news? With some simple changes to your coop setup and chicken care routine, you can break this habit and return to collecting those beautiful eggs. Let's explore why chickens develop this behavior and how you can stop it.

Why Do Chickens Eat Their Eggs?

Contrary to what you might think, chickens don't naturally want to eat the eggs they lay. In the wild, hens are programmed to protect their eggs, not consume them! So when egg eating occurs, there's usually an underlying cause. Here are the most common reasons why your chickens might be snacking on their eggs:

Accidental Discovery: 

Often, egg eating begins when an egg accidentally breaks, and a curious chicken takes a taste. Once they discover how nutritious and delicious their eggs are, they may deliberately start breaking eggs for snacks.

Nutrient Deficiencies: 

Chickens craving protein or calcium may turn to eggs to meet their nutritional needs. This is especially common if your hens' diet lacks essential nutrients needed for egg production.

Stress and Boredom: 

Confined or overcrowded chickens get bored and stressed, leading to destructive behaviors like egg eating. This is particularly common during winter months when outdoor activities are limited.

Inadequate Nesting Areas: 

If your nesting boxes are too bright, crowded, or lack sufficient bedding, eggs are more likely to break accidentally, allowing chickens to develop egg-eating habits.

Dehydration: 

Thirsty chickens sometimes break eggs to consume the liquid inside, especially during hot weather if fresh water isn't readily available.

Understanding why this behavior starts is the first step in stopping it. Let's look at practical solutions to prevent this habit from spreading through your flock.

Preventing Chickens from Eating Their Eggs

1. Collect Eggs Frequently

The simplest way to prevent egg eating is to collect eggs several times throughout the day, primarily during morning hours when most laying occurs. An egg that isn't there can't be eaten! This practice also reduces the chance of accidental breakage when multiple eggs accumulate in a nesting box.

Make egg collection part of your daily routine, ideally checking nesting boxes 2-3 times daily. If you work away from home, try to collect eggs before leaving in the morning and immediately upon returning.

2. Provide Proper Nutrition

Many egg-eating problems stem from nutritional deficiencies. Ensure your flock receives a balanced diet with adequate protein and calcium by feeding a high-quality layer feed formulated specifically for egg-producing hens. For the ultimate in nutrition, consider the Henhouse Reserve® Organic Chicken Feed. This USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Soy-Free, and Corn-Free formula contains whole grains and vegetables for optimal health. It includes our exclusive YolkProud® technology – all-natural ingredients that promote vibrant egg yolks – while strengthening shells to prevent the breakage that can lead to egg-eating behavior.

The 16% All Natural Layer Chicken Crumble Feed is specially formulated to provide the optimal nutrition egg-laying hens need to produce strong-shelled eggs that resist breakage. With 16% protein and enhanced calcium levels, this complete feed helps prevent nutritional deficiencies that often lead to egg eating.

Calcium is particularly important for eggshell strength – stronger shells are less likely to crack. Hi Omegga® Layer pellets are an excellent choice, with 17% crude protein and high calcium carbonate levels designed for strong eggshell formation. This all-natural, antibiotic-free feed is fortified with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D-3 to enhance overall egg quality. It also contains our exclusive YolkProud™ technology for vibrant egg yolks and LifeGuard® blend to support digestive and immune health, helping your hens stay in peak laying condition. Chicken keepers can also offer crushed oyster shells in a separate container so hens can self-regulate their calcium intake according to their needs.

3. Create Dark, Comfortable Nesting Boxes

Hens naturally seek dark, private places to lay their eggs. Bright nesting boxes make eggs more visible and tempting to curious chickens. Install curtains on nesting boxes or position them in darker coop areas to create the secluded environment hens prefer.

Each nesting box should have at least 2-3 inches of soft bedding material to cushion eggs when they're laid and prevent accidental breakage. Straw, pine shavings, or specialized nesting box pads all work well.

4. Use Roll-Away Nesting Boxes

For persistent egg eaters, consider installing roll-away nesting boxes. These clever boxes have a slightly sloped floor that causes eggs to gently roll into a covered collection area immediately after being laid, keeping them safely out of reach from curious beaks.

While these specialized boxes require more investment upfront, they're incredibly effective for breaking the egg-eating cycle in problem flocks.

5. Try Dummy Eggs

Place ceramic or wooden eggs (or golf balls) in nesting boxes to discourage egg eating. When chickens peck at these decoys and find them impossible to break, they lose interest in pecking eggs.

For best results, introduce dummy eggs before removing real eggs so chickens associate egg-shaped objects with frustration rather than rewards.

6. Modify the Taste

Try the "mustard egg" trick if you've identified the culprit. Blow out the contents of an egg through small holes at each end, then refill it with something unpalatable like mustard or hot sauce. When the egg-eating chicken pecks open this "treat," it'll get an unpleasant surprise that discourages future egg-breaking.

Return this doctored egg to the nesting box where your egg eater typically strikes. It may take a few attempts, but most chickens quickly learn to leave eggs alone after unpleasant experiences.

7. Provide Adequate Space

Overcrowding stresses chickens and increases destructive behaviors like egg eating. Ensure your coop provides at least 4 square feet per bird inside and 10 square feet per bird in the run. This gives your flock plenty of room to engage in natural behaviors and reduces boredom-based pecking.

8. Offer Entertainment and Enrichment

Bored chickens are more likely to develop bad habits. Provide entertainment through hanging cabbage heads, treat dispensers that require work to access food, or scatter feed in deep bedding for them to scratch through.

During winter or rainy periods when outdoor access is limited, increase enrichment activities in the coop to prevent boredom-related behaviors from emerging.

9. Address Broody Hens Promptly

Broody hens (those wanting to sit on and hatch eggs) can cause nesting box congestion, leading to broken eggs and potential egg-eating. Either allow broody hens to raise chicks separately or discourage broodiness using cooling techniques.

10. Ensure Proper Hydration

Always provide clean, fresh water to prevent dehydration-based egg eating. During hot weather, offer multiple water stations around your chicken yard. Consider adding electrolytes to their water during extreme heat to encourage drinking.

Explore Quality Chicken Feed Options for Your Flock

Proper nutrition is essential to preventing egg eating. At Kalmbach Feeds, we've formulated our layer feeds specifically to address the nutritional needs of egg-laying hens. Proper nutrition reduces egg-eating behavior and improves overall egg quality and production.

Remember that preventing egg eating is much easier than breaking the habit once it's established. By implementing these strategies and providing quality nutrition through Kalmbach Feeds, you'll be well on your way to collecting beautiful, intact eggs from your happy, healthy flock!

Visit your local Kalmbach Feeds dealer today to discuss which of our premium feed options would work best for your flock's specific needs and help eliminate egg-eating behavior for good.