Why Does The Hen Eat Her Eggs? Most Important Reasons

The chicken descends from the red forest birds of the gradual seasonal, order of the chickens, and has more than 60 breeds, and is bred to benefit from its meat and eggs. The eggs are formed in the reproductive system of the chicken, which consists of two main parts:; The ovary and the oviduct, as the yolk is formed in the ovary, and when it reaches the correct size it is released from the ovary into the funnel of the uterine tube by a process called ovulation, after which it moves to the oviduct to add the albumen, and finally it moves to the end of the cervix to add the shell membranes.

Reasons why a hen eats her eggs

The following are the reasons why chickens eat eggs:

A hen may start eating eggs if her calcium levels are low, as the hen seeks a supplemental diet of eggshells.

The hen may eat the eggs for the purpose of exploring. If the coop is crowded, this could lead to some of the eggs being broken, and the hen may begin to eat the yolk and become accustomed to its taste and it turns into behavior in the hens.

Lack of water. Chickens are known to break eggs if they feel thirsty.

Hunger and lack of sufficient food. Food must be of high quality and contain 16-18% protein, especially during the laying stage.

If the hen’s diet is unbalanced, with low levels of protein, the hen corrects it by eating eggs that contain a lot of protein.

There is too much light in the place where the hen lays her eggs, or due to tension and stress, or due to boredom.

Stop eating eggs in chickens

Here are ways to get rid of chickens’ habit of eating eggs:

Treat her diet by giving her adequate amounts of protein and water.

You can use collapsible nest boxes that take the eggs out to a location away from the hen, or collect the eggs regularly.

When building the nest, put some puzzles for the chickens to discover to get rid of the boredom that prompts them to break and explore their eggs.

Place blackout curtains to darken the cage, so the hen cannot see the eggs.

Lay fake eggs, such as ceramic and wooden eggs. When the hen tries to eat them, she will find them hard and will gradually stop.

General advice on raising chickens

Here are tips to help raise chickens :

Choose the type of chicken that is appropriate for your goal of raising it. Whether you want it to produce eggs or meat.

Determine the number and gender of chickens according to capabilities, budget, and the goal of raising them.

Buy chickens and chicks from a reliable place to ensure that they are free of diseases, and make sure that the chicks are vaccinated against Marek’s disease and coccidiosis.

Keep the chicks in a warm, draft-free shelter, and make sure they have enough space.

Make sure to keep their environment clean to avoid disease, and disinfect all materials weekly.

Provide adequate amounts of high-quality food and water.

Chicken houses need 14-16 hours of light per day, so install artificial light, and do not illuminate adult chickens for more than 16 hours per day.