Chicken breeders often come across a situation where birds peck eggs. This behavior of poultry can be associated with a variety of factors - from lack of nutrients to a hostile lifestyle that is common to certain breeds of chickens.
Reasons for pecking eggs by chickens
This phenomenon is sometimes called bird cannibalism. The reasons that encourage chickens to peck eggs are:
- Incorrect bird feeding. This is the most common cause of cannibalism. If the diet lacks any nutritional components, the body requires replenishment of energy reserves, and the chicken finds their source in laid eggs. Poultry is especially keen on a lack of valuable substances such as vitamin D, calcium and protein. In some cases, chickens begin to eat eggs, having already recognized their taste: if the breeder gives the birds a fresh shell on which fresh protein remains, they are looking for a way to re-feel this taste. The same category should include a sharp change in diet, as well as the presence of toxic substances in feed.
- Uncomfortable conditions. Chickens require a certain temperature and humidity level in the chicken coop, and also need sufficient space. If everything is in order with the food, and the birds intensively peck eggs, this may indicate an incorrect temperature regime in the room in which they live, too close space, lack of walking. Also, such actions arise due to the close arrangement of the nests or too bright, annoying lighting. Non-compliance with sanitary standards is another important reason that leads to biting of eggs by chickens.
- Irritation of the skin by parasites, the appearance in the coop of a large number of insects.
- Bird Cage Injurythat prompts them to aggressive behavior.
- The unemployment and curiosity of birds. Some scientists note that initially the white color of an egg can attract the attention of chickens. Because chickens are curious and prone to try all unfamiliar objects while searching for worms, they taste a new object that appears in their field of vision. After the chicken feels the taste of a raw egg, it will peck it purposefully.
- Stressful situations. Chickens experience stress when new individuals appear in the stock, in the case of moving the bird to other premises, a sharp change in diet, or a lack of light.
- Breed features. Representatives of certain breeds have an instinct that prompts them to observe a hostile style of coexistence. Aggression is rarely observed without an inducing reason: usually a bite provokes starvation, inconvenience indoors. Hostility is characteristic of representatives of such breeds as Loman Brown, Oryol and Kokhinhin.
Aggressive breed of hens Loman Brown
Stress-resistant Oryol breed of chickens
Nervous breed of cochinhin chickens
Farmers note that in most cases, cannibalism in chickens occurs during periods of their life such as egg laying and molting season.
Problem Solving Methods
To wean a poultry from peeling eggs, you can do the following:
- Organize the right diet. Most often, pecking is the result of a lack of calcium in the diet of chickens, as well as vitamins A and D, amino acids, and phosphorus. In this case, you need to act immediately: lack of nutrients encourages birds not only to peck eggs. The wrong diet can cause a massive mortality of chickens. That is why it is urgently necessary to review the diet of chickens. To do this, it is recommended to add carbohydrates in the form of carefully chopped beets, carrots and potatoes and fats in the form of corn grains and oats. Proteins must also be present in the diet of chickens. Their role is played by bone meal, shell rock, sunflower seeds. The minerals are sand, wood resin, small pebbles. In the warm season, chopped fresh herbs should be added to the feed. Also, birds should be given dairy products - cottage cheese, whey. In the evening, chickens should not be given compound feed, but ordinary grain: it is digested more slowly, so the birds will sleep peacefully all night and will not wake up hungry in the morning.
- Assess and optimize conditions. It is necessary to check the condition of the nests: they should not be close and too close in relation to each other. Also, nests should not be placed in visible places and at too high a height, otherwise this can cause stress for the chickens. The perch needs to be raised at a level of about 50 cm from the floor. It is also necessary to organize a platform for walking birds. It should occupy enough space. It is best for the poultry to walk in the fresh air in order to manage to get a dose of natural vitamin D from sunlight. As for the size of the chicken coop, it should be such that for 2-3 individuals there should be at least 1 square meter. m
- Maintain optimum temperature. In order for the hens to lay eggs well and not feel like pecking them, it is necessary to optimize the temperature regime. Indicators should be within + 12-22 degrees.
- Tidy up the chicken coop. Litter should be changed regularly. The floor should initially be covered with a layer of slaked lime. A layer of sawdust or straw 10 cm thick is laid on it. It is quite simple to remove it. You should also carefully examine the walls, ceiling, and doors. It is necessary to eliminate the drafts by plugging the cracks. The chicken coop should be regularly cleaned of waste, as the waste products of the bird release toxic substances, inhaling which the bird suffocates and experiences stress.
- The use of pharmaceuticals. Their goal is to wean chickens from pecking eggs. They can be given to birds only after determining the reason why they began to behave in this way, and only on the recommendation of a specialist. These funds are added to the feed in an amount of 10-15 g per 10 kg of feed. These drugs include Vitaminol, Ryabushka, Rex Vital, Methionine.
There are also proven folk methods that can deal with the problem of biting eggs. The following is recommended:
- Fake Fake Eggs. In the nests should be put balls for tennis or golf, or dummy eggs made from flour, water and salt. Over time, the chicken will tire of unsuccessfully pecking its own waste products, and it will stop it. You can also lay eggs in nests, from which the yolk with protein is previously removed and into which a mixture of pepper, mustard and vinegar is poured. A similar composition will not be to the taste of the bird, and it will no longer engage in biting.
- Beak pruning. A similar measure is widely practiced in poultry farms. Do this at an early age - from 35 to 70 days of bird life. On farms, this is done using a special expensive device, and at home - using wire cutters.
- Wearing special eyecups. Some breeders recommend their use, as eyecups limit the viewing angle of the bird, thus helping to reduce its aggressiveness.
- Identify a chicken that is engaged in biting. Usually, one or two birds that cause harm are observed in the entire stock. You can observe the behavior of laying hens: the chicken that pecks the eggs is always next to the nests on which the laying hens. This individual must be placed in a separate cage and temporarily restrict communication with the pack. The isolation period is about 2 weeks. During this time, it is necessary to provide the bird with proper nutrition and comfortable living conditions. Aggressive individuals do not have to be destroyed: putting them back in the flock, you can slightly cut their beak, go put on eyecups. In summer, some breeders recommend dipping aggressive birds in cold water containers several times.
You can not add young individuals to older chickens, since such a neighborhood inevitably creates conflict situations.
Watch the video from the chicken breeder, who faced the problem of chickens laying eggs and solved it in several ways at once:
Preventive measures
To prevent the risk of birds hatching eggs, you should follow these recommendations:
- constantly maintain a comfortable temperature in the chicken coop: in summer, the room should be cool, in winter - warm;
- observe the behavior of birds: this way you can identify aggressive individuals and timely isolate them from other chickens;
- provide proper regular nutrition: the diet should contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals, feeding should be done at the same time, morning and evening; birds must not be allowed to experience hunger;
- regularly remove garbage from nests;
- separately contain birds of different breeds and ages;
- let new individuals into the herd only in the evening;
- daily clean up chickens and litter;
- timely take all the eggs from the nests of hens;
- to ensure full “employment” for poultry: so that they do not bite eggs, toss pieces of pumpkin and apples into the chicken coop, eating them, the hens will not be distracted by their own eggs;
- equip the chicken coop with feeders and drinking bowls with a large diameter, so as not to create a competitive situation.
Chickens peck eggs if they are missing something: nutrients, places, light. To determine the cause of the bite, it is necessary to observe their behavior. Comfortable living conditions, ensuring constant employment and regular feeding are good prevention of egg damage by laying hens.