How to stop chickens eating their own eggs.

I googled this problem and really didn't find anything that could help my problem. My chickens that I hand raised from babies had started eating their own eggs. I asked "experts" on how to stop this problem and the only real answer I got was, "CULL THEM Once they start eating their own eggs, thats it you will never stop the habit and once one starts the rest will follow". No way was I going to CULL my babies, so heres what I did with all the information I read and received.

I went to our local Produce store and brought two pretend hard plastic white eggs, a plastic container to hang on the side of the cage and a bag of shell grit. I put the plastic eggs into the nest and sure enough 4 of my darling chickens ran straight to the eggs and started pecking madly. Once they realised they couldn't break the eggs they gave up. I put the shell grit firstly onto the floor of their run, it took them all a while but once one started pecking at the shell grit, of course the rest of the piggies all followed. I then put the shell grit into the container. I also gave them extra lucerne hay to pick at.

I left the plastic eggs in the nest and a day later the eggs started appearing again. We made a habit of collecting them throughout the day, whilst leaving the plastic ones there. We now have a healthy supply of eggs, getting atleast 7 to 8 per day from 8 hens and no hens or roosters are eating the eggs anymore.

The plastic eggs are still in the nest and will probably stay there for life! While its working I really do not want play with fate. I hope this helps others and no you don't have to CULL your chickens you just have to outsmart them :D