Another question about egg peckers

But some golf balls in there nests. Try to collect eggs often.

 

Great thread!! I've been wondering the same thing. I have a 7 month old buff brahma who likes to poke at eggs. I went to collect the eggs the other day, put the basket of eggs on the shelf above the nest boxes so I could refill the feeder. Turned back into the coop ad found her up on the shelf trying to peck the eggs I had just collected.

Sonja

 

If you can not stop it the best thing to do is cull. They will teach the other this nasty habbit.

 

Maybe it cracked when it fell and it got 'rolled' over when they walk around. I, too worry about egg eaters. Had one 2 days ago with a whole and no yolk/white around. I'm fearing the worst. I am checking for eggs every 3hrs when I'm home. Have not come across another broke egg yet.

 

When we had lots of chickens, the egg eaters just self nominated themselves as Sunday dinner. However, if the flock is small, every hen is precious.

I don't think you can discourage egg eaters with nasty tasting stuff. They eat with gusto things that are awful to humans. I suspect they don't have a lot of taste sensation.

It is better to frustrate them with light bulbs, door knobs, fake eggs or anything else round and hard that looks like an egg. They are not real bright. But after a pecking on a bunch of hard junk, they get the idea it is not worth it.

In the worst case, try the roll away nest. The floor of the nest is inclined just enough that the egg rolls backward under a false back of the nest. If they can't get to it, they can't eat it.

I found an old cabinet in the alley. I removed the backing off of it and installed false backs and nest dividers in it. The former back of the cabinet faces inward to the coop. The doors face away from the coop. It is slightly inclined so that the eggs roll back under the false back and are there safe and sound when I open the cabinet doors.

I have never had a problem with egg eating with these birds, but as my mama used to say "Trust is the first step to betrayal."

Rufus

 

I've had a couple laid off the roost and I think they get stepped on when the girls walk under the roost. I also have a couple of hens who want to go broody. I think they're ccidently poking holes in the eggs when they turn them. I homeschool, so the kids are out constantly checking for eggs!

Sonja