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I have an "egg eater"

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post #1 of 5

4/18/12 at 12:28pm

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PAchickenlover

Location: York
Joined: 6/2011
Posts: 841
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How do I find out who my egg eater is? Does anyone have any "briliant Ideas" on how to catch my trator? I had a Show Girl sitting on three eggs. Went up there a few minutes ago and found 2 of her eggs scattered around the coop. One of the eggs had dried yolk on it. can only immagine where the third egg went. I have started to collect eggs more often throughout the day. Would injecting an egg with food coloring work?

Please help, hubby is about to get rid of most of my hens because he thinks they are not laying anymore.....

Thanks

I don't judge others...

And in return appreciate not being judged...

We all make mistakes..

We all try our best to take care of our birds..

I don't judge others...

And in return appreciate not being judged...

We all make mistakes..

We all try our best to take care of our birds..

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post #2 of 5

4/18/12 at 1:15pm

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PAchickenlover

Location: York
Joined: 6/2011
Posts: 841
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Please doesn't any one have anything?

I don't judge others...

And in return appreciate not being judged...

We all make mistakes..

We all try our best to take care of our birds..

I don't judge others...

And in return appreciate not being judged...

We all make mistakes..

We all try our best to take care of our birds..

post #3 of 5

4/18/12 at 2:44pm

Erica

Joined: 12/2010
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Hi PAchickenlover,

You could try this.

Make tiny hole at each end of egg, blow out contents, and fill egg with nontoxic acrylic paint. Seal with sticky tape or wax plug, and put back in nest.

You'll see paint on the face of any bird that pecks the egg.

I should say, I did this once (a different color per egg) and when I checked, all the hens had paint on them...

Roll nests can help you get eggs, but I've had hens work out how to find eggs in the compartment, so it's not foolproof.

If you put all the hens in a pen without nestboxes and nothing else on the floor (just plain dirt or concrete, no litter or anything else), the eggs will roll away from their beaks when they try to eat them, and over time this can cure the habit.

Soft or thin shelled eggs as well as egg-cracking predators often start the problem... Hardening eggshells can help enormously (especially if you decide to try to 'cure' the hens by putting them in a plain pen with no nests).

best of luck with an annoying problem,

Erica

http://www.permachicken.com Permaculture chicken blog: raising chickens with fewer industrial inputs.

post #4 of 5

4/18/12 at 2:50pm

Habibs Hens
Cream Legbar Keeper

Location: London, UK
Joined: 3/2012
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it not nice to find eggs being eaten as once hens get a taste they will carry on

i think the pain trick is good although i would say food colouring its pretty strong

but i dont think that will give you answers as Erica said she found all her hens with paint

that is due to teh fact that if one hen starts it they all follow and get a taste for it and join in th feast even if they did not initiate the breaking

5 Red Star, 1 Speckledy, 3 Col Blacktails, 3 White Star [Leghorn] 1 Amber Star - All Hybrid Pullets, 1 French Copper Marans - Roo, 2 Lavender Araucanas - Roos, 3 Cream Legbars - 2 Pullets & 1 Roo

Formerly Silverfox0786

5 Red Star, 1 Speckledy, 3 Col Blacktails, 3 White Star [Leghorn] 1 Amber Star - All Hybrid Pullets, 1 French Copper Marans - Roo, 2 Lavender Araucanas - Roos, 3 Cream Legbars - 2 Pullets & 1 Roo

Formerly Silverfox0786

post #5 of 5

4/18/12 at 4:02pm

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PAchickenlover

Location: York
Joined: 6/2011
Posts: 841
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So in essence my best option is to just keep collecting eggs multiple times during the day. And keep an eye out for any that are after the eggs. I have also considdered trying to pen almost of my hens up for a few days and keep an eye on them, wether they lay an egg and wether it can remain in the cage for a few hours with out being devoured. My hens were getting really stressed out from the roo's. I kept my 3 calmest and best behaved roo's, a Silky, my SS and my Frizzle. Two days ago I only got 3 eggs, yesterday I got 4, today I got 5. So i'm starting to think that the roo situation was part of my problem. I was getting a dozen eggs a day so we are still a long ways off from that but we are making progress and that is what counts. I am going to have to look up chicken saddles though, some of my hens are pretty bare on the backside. I want to get more eggs because I want to hatch some chicks from my hens. We are talking about switching to younger stock in the fall and I want to have them pretty well grown by then. Any how thanks for the suggestions.