Egg-eating

[Kurovod]

The carved soap needs to look only vaguely like an egg. I make a rough half-egg, then smooth it off under running warm water and put it in the nest round side up.

 

[3 NH reds]

An update on my egg eaters. I now know WHO is doing it by moving birds to other coops, now I am down to the 2 NH reds and one golden comet. I did not want to kill off the birds as they are our first layers. I got some Kuhl plastic roll out nests at Fleming outdoors. It has a trap door to keep them away from the eggs. It needed to be elevated by some wood but it works just fine. I will try to get pics to explain this latter how I set it up.Great thing is that they are under $14 each.

 

[FaerieChicken]

The carved soap needs to look only vaguely like an egg. I make a rough half-egg, then smooth it off under running warm water and put it in the nest round side up.

You could also find some egg shaped soap at gift stores, or farmer's markets! I have a friend who makes natural soaps, and he has lots of molds.

 

[Kurovod]

Good idea, Faerie. Even easier.

 

[chickenkim]

I think I have an egg eater, but I'm not completely sure. The straw in the nesting is sticky and goopy, and sometimes I find a weird thing that looks like a huge, pale raisin. Today, I found a HUGE egg, with no shell whatsoever. Also yucky stuff that looked almost like slimy intestines!

All of the girls seem to be acting ok, thank goodness. I have put golf balls in the box, and it seemed to help with the eating, but now I am questioning whether or not that is even what is happening! Any advice?

 

[LaLa Chickie]

I had one that struggled to lay good eggs. Just took her awhile. I had shell less eggs too. Eventually it all straightened out. If the shell was really thin, it would break and would eat the insides, but they weren't egg eaters. I have pictures posted on my profile if you want to see mine.

 

[libedavi]

I've read somewhere that if chickens are eating eggs, they are in need of calcium.

 

[LaLa Chickie]

 

[chicksneedhelp]

I saw my roo pecking an egg I was about to pick up, so it broke open and he ate it. Then my RIR was dust bathing like crazy, and I found a damaged egg with a paper thin shell and kind of sandy spots all over the shell that I think she kicked - probably her egg. So I put an alabaster egg and an egg shaped rock on the coop floor and a golf ball in a nest. The next day the RIR had cracked the tip off her beak! She is very aggressive, taking food out of the roo's beak and chasing the other hens to steal their food. The broken beak has not seemed to change her behavior and she doesn't seem to have a problem eating. But I did feel bad for her, and put all the fake eggs in an nest that had never been used. The next day, a real egg was in there with the fake ones! I have 3 hens, and am getting a max of one egg a day, where I had been getting two, and on rare occasion, three. Don't think the RIR lays very often. The BR and NHR had laid daily. They are losing some feathers, so don't know if that means they're molting or not - they're almost a year old. I think molting is suppose to affect laying...but then it might be someone's eating eggs? Could they be doing that without leaving a trace?

 

[Mehjr10]

Yes they are very good at eating it all. Separate the RIR from the rest and see how that works out. You can also put an egg that has been blown out with Food Coloring and see who ends up with it on their face.