Why are my chickens eating their own eggs?

[Ilikepumpkins]

Apologies if this has been answered before.

My birds (or at least one of them) is eating their own eggs. They have daily fresh food and water, but am I missing something? Could they be deficient in their diet? Or have they simply found out how tasty eggs are, and now they're hooked.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Cheers.

[MaureenHall]

Unfortunately once they get the taste for eggs, it's a very difficult habit to break. There are other threads about this, but the first thing to try is to fill an empty shell with mustard, glue it back together so it looks like a proper egg and put it back in the nest box. The chook will get a shock when she opens that one and starts to eat the contents. Also have a look at the shell thickness, if she's laying thin-shelled eggs these can easily break by accident when they're laid (or she stands on it!). You can also get roll-away nest boxes so the egg is out of reach when she tries to get at it. Good luck!

[Shellintons]

My chickens will eat any egg that gets broken in the pen, I think it really is the taste, and if one is cracked when I collect them, I will often give it to them, as all an egg is really,if you think about it, is chick food.
I have never had a hen purposely break an egg to eat it (that I know) but I know it happens. If I ever get one I'll try your mustard egg tip, Maureen

[Polly Fouracre]

I've had this problem and filled eggshells with Piri-Piri sauce, since when, no problems!!