The hen can eat her own egg starting with a mistake-the hen accidentally breaks an egg and finds it delicious and nutritious so she eats it all the way through. This behavior can spread throughout the herd. If left unchecked, the behavior will be difficult to stop. This article will teach you how to provide an environment and diet that supports the egg-laying process that results in healthy and strong eggs. In addition, you will also find out how to stop the bad behavior of the chicken before other chickens are affected.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Creating a Healthy Environment
Step 1. Reduce egg damage by preventing the nest from becoming overcrowded
At a minimum you need a nest measuring 31 cm x 31 cm for 4 to 5 chickens to live in. Nests that are too small or too few can cause the eggs to be trampled, squashed, and damaged. The chickens will become stressed and continue to peck. Reduce the chances of egg spoiling as much as possible so the chicken never notices the taste of the egg.
- Nest height should be 61cm from the ground and 1.22 m from the perch.
- Keep hens who want to incubate their eggs from the nest so they don't overcrowd the place and cause obstruction of other nests.
- Consider building a nest that will allow the eggs to roll onto a tray while the chicken is standing. This design can save the eggs from being pecked or stepped on and damaged.
Step 2. Make the nesting area dark and quiet
Bright lights can cause chickens to become stressed and nervous so they will continue to peck. Keep the nest box away from the cage door and direct sunlight. It is also not recommended to install bright lights. Block windows from various light to create a comfortable environment.
- Stay away from anything that makes a sudden sound or movement as this can scare the chicken away. If the chicken is frightened, it will run from the nesting box and can break the egg.
- Reducing the light source can also keep the cage at a comfortable temperature. If the temperature is too hot, the chicken will feel uncomfortable and peck more often.
Step 3. Provide sufficient nesting material to protect the newly released eggs
Make sure each nest has dry and clean nesting material (eg wheat straw) at all times. If you can prevent the eggs from spoiling (such as from smacking and stacking each other), your chickens won't have a chance to know how good the eggs taste.
If there are cracked eggs, immediately clean the nesting area affected by the broken eggs
Step 4. Don't let your chickens get bored
Chickens that feel bored and irritated tend to peck more often. Hang a cabbage to peck at and give your chicken enough room to walk around and move around a bit.
- Try to create an area for the chickens to roam and climb or jump over obstacles such as stumps or tree roots. If you don't have these items, build a ladder or swing for them to climb.
- Place a pile of hay in the cage area. Your chickens will be busy scratching and setting the hay onto a flat surface.
Method 2 of 3: Coping With Food Deficiency
Step 1. Give your chickens a balanced diet, consisting of at least 16% protein and rich in vitamins and nutrients
Look for feed that is specifically for laying hens. The feed should contain high vegetable fat and protein.
You need to note that in the addition of additional flour (leftovers from kitchen food or rice juice) more protein must be added so that the protein needs in the diet are maintained
Step 2. Add calcium to your chicken feed
If a chicken is deficient in calcium, it will not be able to produce eggs with strong shells. If the egg shell is weak and breaks when the chicken sits on it, chances are the chicken will eat it. When your chicken finds the egg contains the protein and fat it needs, and the shell contains calcium, your chicken will deliberately crack it and eat it. Other chickens will notice his behavior and imitate him.
- Ground oysters and limestone are the best sources of calcium for your chickens. Add 1kg to every 45kg of chicken feed. Or provide these supplements at the place to eat.
- Give your chicken milk every day for a certain period of time to increase its calcium intake.
- Avoid using egg shells as a source of calcium because your chickens will recognize the appearance and smell. Then it will eat its own eggs. If you choose to use eggshells, grind them first so the chickens don't recognize them.
- You may notice that the eggs will have a softer shell in hot weather. This is because your chickens cannot retain calcium efficiently in hot weather, so add calcium supplements.
Step 3. Make sure you provide plenty of water for your chickens
Even if your chickens have a balanced diet rich in calcium, lack of water can make your chickens eat their eggs because of the water content in them. Chickens need more water than most other types of poultry. Therefore, make sure your chickens always have clean and fresh water to drink.
You can add vitamin supplements to their drinking water to help your chicken absorb calcium
Method 3 of 3: Breaking the Habit
Step 1. Identify and remove chickens that like to eat their eggs as soon as possible
You probably won't find it doing this right away, but if you watch it for a few days, you can definitely identify the chicken. The chicken will have dried egg yolk marks on its beak or side of its head. The chicken will also walk around the nest in search of eggs that it can eat.
- Separate the chicken from the rest so it doesn't eat any more eggs and the other chickens won't imitate its behavior. Watch the other chickens to see if the behavior stops.
- If the eggs continue to be eaten, the behavior may have spread and you should separate the rest of the chickens.
- Separating the chicken may be enough to stop him from eating the eggs.
Step 2. Collect the eggs as soon as possible
Most hens lay their eggs before 10:00. The sooner you pick it up, the less likely it is to break the egg and encourage the chicken to eat it.
Collect eggs twice a day or more often if possible
Step 3. Use fake eggs to trick the chickens
Place golf balls, whitewashed stones, or fake eggs near the nest. Collect the real eggs as usual, but leave the fake ones. When the chicken pecks at the fake egg, it finds that it is unbreakable and is not a source of food. Your chickens will probably stop cracking real eggs.
You can also remove the contents of a raw egg by punching holes in the top and bottom of the egg. Then fill the egg with mustard (mustard) and place it in the nest. Chickens don't like mustard and this can quickly teach them that eggs have a bad taste
Step 4. Use blindfolds, beak covers, or separate egg-eating chickens if you can't change their behavior
Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to stop the chicken from eating the egg once the chicken has tasted it. If you've tried everything you can to stop it and your hens are still breaking eggs wildly, you may need to go a little more extreme. You can chop your chicken pecker with a hot knife or even kill it.
- If you don't want to do these things, you can buy an eye patch that will prevent him from seeing things in front of him. If he can only see the side then he will have a hard time finding and pecking the eggs.
- You can also permanently separate the chicken from the rest until most of the eggs have been collected. The hen may continue to destroy its own eggs, but the rest of the eggs will be safe (unless the hen lays multiple eggs when she regroups with her flock).
