Hen who sucks eggs, leaves shell... Suggestions? Rid her from flock?

[innof8happinesses]

Recently we adopted some hens that are about 2 yrs old. Our coop was invaded by a dog and nearly wiped out our entire flock... Anyway, one of these hens (Buff Orpington), lays an egg then turns around pokes a hole in it and sucks out the insides and leaves the shell. We keep her contained in a separate "reptile" tank outside... When she manages to escape she goes right to the coop where the other hens lay, and she sucks out all their eggs! This is so aggravating! It is a pain to keep her separate. And we have tried the fake egg trick... she will peck that thing the rest of her life and any other egg she sees. I think she is mental. We don't have the resources to built new boxes right now where the eggs fall out of their reach. What should I do about her? Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[Chicken Woman]

Two words STEW POT ! Once she starts that you will not be able to stop her !

 

[birdlover]

The only thing I can suggest, from reading about this sort of thing on here, is to blow out some eggs and fill them with hot mustard. Then leave them where she can get to them and let her find out the eggs aren't so good after all. I have no idea if this really works but some have said it did in their cases. Good luck!!

 

[the1much]

i didnt think spicy stuff bothers birds,, shoot mine eat hot HOT peppers lol.
im the kind of person to try everything before culling,, i would get a wood egg and try that, if still doing it,, time fer dinnah

 

[al6517]

If you think there is no stopping her and it sounds that way. Cull her and forget all about it learn from it and then move on. it is what must be done, why go through the added expense and aggravation, to not get a return. sorry about the egg sucking.

AL

 

[innof8happinesses]

Thanks for the great advice (as usual). We may try the mustard thing... But my guess is that she would like it... We'll see. We are not opposed to culling her. She is mental... I just didn't want to do it if I there were some easier ways to get her to stop.

 

[enola]

You have 2 options - - - -

1) design a nest that will allow the egg to roll away where she cannot reach it

2) the much easier way - the stew pot that someone else has already mentioned.

Commercial nests (that roll the eggs out on to a conveyor belt) have a lining sort of like a plastic door mat that cushions the egg when it is laid in the nest. The nest lining then rolls the egg through a hole cut out in the back of the nest. The nest is tilted so the egg rolls gently onto the conveyor belt.

 

[GardenerGal]

Mustard? I'd use garlic as she obviously is a vampire!!!!

Seriously, I'm not sure pungent herbs will have an effect of chickens, as birds don't taste. They are not sensitive to hot pepper and other strong substances that would cause "burning" sensations in mammals. I could be wrong here, but it's something I am pretty sure I recall learning back in ag college poultry science courses. Of course, my memory could be warped with age.

There are other threads on egg eating hens, and you might do a search to find out what solutions were offere in those. I believe there have been people who have been successful in retraining their chooks not to eat eggs.

 

[craig g]

Try the mustard. What I do and it has worked so far. Mix alittle mustard and cayenne pepper or any type off hot pepper into a paste. Use just enough mustard to hold pepper together. Blow out a couple eggs it does not matter if you take the whole end out of the egg off. Fill them up and put in hen nest box. She might eat a couple but she will get tired of it.

 

[Kim_NC]

The mustard may work, but hot pepper is not going to bother a chicken. In fact, I feed garden refuse of hot pepper varieties to ours in Summer. They hop right on them as a treat.
Dried cayenne pepper also makes a good tonic for chickens - about 1 tsp per cup of feed.

To discourage a chicken - try artificial grape flavored soda. They react to artificial grape the way mammals react to hot pepper.

If artificial grape doesn't work, then .....soup pot.