how to break egg eaters

[mustangsaguaro]

I have 5 hens and everytime I go into the coop to check for eggs I find either a broken egg in the nest or an egg outside of the nest broken. I thought it was wild birds doing this because I have seen bluejays in the coop before doing this. Well, yesterday I found my culprit egg eater. So question here is what can I do to break her of this habit? Is it possible she's doing this because she's lacking something in her diet? They do get free choice oyster shell to eat. So what else could it be?

Thanks

 

[liebe]

I broke 2 egg eaters by leaving golf balls in all the nests. Seemed to work for me, I guess they got tired of trying to peck out which egg was real. I also went to see if there was eggs as often as I could till I knew the habit was done.

I also found that egg eaters in my personal experiences seem to start with eggs lowest to the ground. I keep my nest boxes a little higher now and haven't had another problem, knock on wood.

 

[Kane]

I will have to tell my friend!! His whole flock are egg eaters!!

 

[Judy]

It's a hard habit to break, I've read here. One member put hers in a concrete floor pen with no nests or litter. Haven't had to deal with this myself, knock on wood.

 

[Britney]

I was told that you can put mustard and salt on the coop floor to make it look like an egg and the egg eater will taste it and be yelked out by it and not do it again.

 

[bywaterdog]

The only 100% cure that I have found for egg eating is- Shake and Bake, works every time.

 

[jonsweaver]

Thx for the golf ball suggestion - it has disrupted the behavior and I hope end it.
Seemed like the eater had broken her own egg as well as eggs of the one other layer we have right now.
Checking the nesting box several times a day also.
Wish me luck as more egg laying happens this spring...