Egg-eating

[Opa]

Switch to a rollout nest box. If the eggs are were they can reach them, they can't eat them. Plans are in my tag line.

 

[malndobe]

Switch to a rollout nest box. If the eggs are were they can reach them, they can't eat them. Plans are in my tag line.

When I had my egg eaters I built a roll out nest box, they wouldn't use it. They would lay next to it, in front of it, etc but not in it. I tried flat carpet, a shag, that fake grass (the tall stuff) basically if there wasn't enough "stuff" (plush carpet, hay, grass, etc) in there to make the eggs no longer roll I couldn't get them to lay in it.

Any ideas?

 

[Opa]

Not sure why yours won't use one. I've been using one for many years and only had a few birds that refused to use it.

 

[malndobe]

Not sure why yours won't use one. I've been using one for many years and only had a few birds that refused to use it.

I have had 2 groups of hens for sure, and I think 3, that have all refused to use the roll out. The only way I was able to get them to use it was to put hay/leaves in the box, get them used to it, then slowly remove the hay/leaves from the back so the eggs could roll. But if the pile of hay/leaves in the front of the box got kicked out, which happened over time, they would stop using the box again.

I currently have 1 hen that will use the roll outs, the rest are laying their eggs right next to them again. I don't need the roll outs right now, nobody is eating eggs, I just figured I'd use it instead of building more boxes.

 

[MerrittFarmer]

This had happened to me, and the habit was really hard to break. I bought cheap wooden eggs and set them in all six of my nesting boxes. The hens would roll them around and peck at them, but gave up after a few weeks. I haven't seen it for a while. I got a new brood of chicks, and now its starting to pick up again. I think the hens notice it too, and it has stopped. The pullets are about 5 months old, and they have already learned not to break eggs for the most part.

 

[animal paradise]

The roll out things sound great. But on my farm we have chicks catch a lot. Whenever we have a broody hen (and it's the right wether) we let her sit. So I don't know if it would work out for me. Sound like a good idea tho!

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Egg eaters can be trick to deal with but I would never recommend culling a bird (killing it) due to it. Firstly, try golf balls, if that doesn't work what I did is got a sterile syringe from my mum's work and we made a tiny hole in the egg to break u and drain out the yolk then I inject soapy water into it and put it in the nest box. I find this works especially with smaller flocks as they have a higher chance of picking the doctored egg, to identify the culprit, I bought a special brand of bird friendly food colouring and coloured the soapy water, this way you see the bird with the bright red coloured beak and can then carry on form there.

Millie - Doctor, three chicks (polish, blackrock and white star), three hens (two ex-batteries and a polish), five cats and a dog.

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Sorry about the font size in my last post, I didn't realise it would be so big

 

[tinychicadees]

I just got golf balls a little earlier and put a couple in each nesting box, I have not been getting any eggs. But I find evidence of the shell left on the coop floor. I'm really hoping the balls work, I know they slowed down for winter, but I'd like to get my eggs before they do, I was going out like every hour, but never see an egg.

 

[chickenkid12340]

I am not getting many eggs, and there is sometimes sticky stuff in the nest box. How do I identify the egg-eater/s? I have golf balls in there, but they are not working. Has anybody successfully done this without culling?