My juvies are almost 22 weeks old and obviously starting to lay. We found a very small brown egg, and a small light beige egg, probably from one of the BO's. The BO egg looks like it was layed from the roost above, which I know is typical of a new layer. The problem was that the top of the egg looked to be pecked open. The yolk was not disturbed, almost like the hen was curious.... Is this going to lead to a problem?
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
It's a bad habit for them to get into; Katrinag is right; golf balls or wooden eggs sometimes breaks them of the habit. If you have persistent chickens, you can blow out a few eggs and put nasty stuff inside, such as horseradish. That sometimes works a bit better, but it's more of a hassle. If nothing else works, blow out an egg and put food coloring inside; this will point out who the egg eater is, and you can cull her. Good luck!
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
We check for eggs often, and they have never touched anything in the nest, just the one that was payed from the roost. I can't cull her, we only have 16, and I have a feeling it is Hannibal the Pecker that is doing it.... This is the first time though.... I am gonna put the golf balls udner the roost and see if that helps. Thanks for the answers!
