i got an egg eater--

[old geezer]

...got an egg eater here---when i gathered egg just a few minutes ago----i saw the broken shell an some fluild in the bottom of the nest---when i took the eggs and shell out , dottie , one of my 2 delawares ran in and grabbed the shell out of my hand---this can not be a hunger thing --as they always have a filled feeder of good penfield layer crumbles , daily get some bread , lettuce ,or fruit,grass clipping and or bird seed --they eat pretty well-----so ---what causes egg eaters to start--- on stopping it--i have read numerous times on BYC that stopping is almost always impossible ,and either culling or placeing the bird alone in isolation is the only option---any imput , thoughts or help in going to be greately appreciated---what do i do???????? help

 

[wren]

I would use a roll away nest or collect the eggs constantly. Some people use gold balls or wooden eggs.

 

[Gingerlilypad]

I had a hen that started breaking and eating eggs. She tasted real good fried with mashed potatoes gravy and corn on the cob. Problem solved.

 

[DesertChickLover]

What I do with my egg eaters is try and check the nests every once in a while. Also, I have a white toy egg in each nesting box, which seems to confuse my chickies.

 

[Opa]

A roll out nest box is going to be your best solution. I designed one and started a thread showing how to building it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=287684

 

[mtnhens4]

I have read that if you blow out one of your eggs and fill it with yellow mustard (chickens hate mustard) and put it in the nest box your egg eater will get a beak full of mustard

and never eat another egg again, it's worth a try

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
Cool idea....

 

[dewey]

Maybe you don't have an egg eater...maybe the egg was accidently broken when layed or stepped on or defective somehow and it attracted their attention...chickens will gobble up broken eggs or peck at a defect or imperfection. If I drop an egg and it breaks they'll run over to try to eat it. If I reach for something other than an intact egg they figure I've found food or am pointing out food, and the fastest, most alert one is there on it even before I can grab up whatever it is...even a wisp a paper, lol.

 

[Haazegirl]

We have an egg eater too and it's getting out of hand. I will have to put our fake eggs back in to confuse them, and maybe the mustard trick. I have heard of that before on here, it's just going to be hilarious. First of all my son LOVES mustard, and might get jealous of the hens getting so much. Then imagine the surprised chicken who gets ahold of that treat!

I wish we could pinpoint who was doing it, but with 20 hens it's pretty hard to tell who does what. Especially in this weather. They seem to only dine on eggs when nobody is watching.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I've only had one egg eater, she became supper.