Any cure for hen that likes to peck a hole in her eggs?

[Carolyn252]

She breaks through the hard shell leaving a hole in the shell, but the membrane beneath is never broken through. I refrigerate them or cook them up immediately. Anybody have any ideas on how to discourage her from pecking at her eggs? I only have two hens. If the other hen's egg is in the nest, she never pecks at it; only pecks her own.

 

[Mahonri]

You can de-beak her.

Or

You can rehome her

or

you can make soup out of her.

that's about all you can do..

Maybe someone else will have an idea.

 

[JoMama]

Aha! Another reason for clipping beaks. I thougt it was just so they don't peck each other, I didn't think about pecking at eggs. Bummer.

 

[ranchhand]

Have you actually seen her peck the egg? I have one who stands up to lay, and if she has raked all the bedding out of the box the egg gets dented when it lands.

 

[BarkerChickens]

You can get one of those nest boxes that has the floor part ramps slightly to a collection spot. That way the egg isn't there long enough for her peck it.

edited to add...if you look them up, they are commonly called rollout nests.

 

[Wanda]

I use to have the same problem with my Delaware hen but now it has stopped on its own. I think she was doing what Ranchhand said and not really pecking them. She was 9 mos old when I got her so maybe over time she has learned to sit to lay. Hers were always broken at the end so that could be where it hit when it was dropped out or maybe she was trying to move them around I use to do the same as you, just used her eggs asap.

Wanda

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

We just had to re-home a gorgeous splash marans hen. She would peck every single egg. At first, I didn't think it was intentional. So, one day I sat out there in the coop and waited...and waited...and waited. Every 30 seconds or so, she would raise up and stick her entire neck under her-looking for the egg! I couldn't believe it! The other day I waited for an hour and a half. No egg. I went to tend to another hen for just a minute. Turned around and she had already pecked that darn egg! I listed her on Craigslist and explained that they would have to collect the egg FAST! Never thought about those nesting boxes with the tilted floors though. That might have worked!

 

[tristancolli]

put a small hole in each end very carfully blow the whites and yolk out of the egg and fill it with mustard when the chicken pecks it she will get the mustard do it a couple times and it should fix her i have done it before it is a easy fix

 

[BlackBart]

Quote:
yup that is worked for one of my hens. Either mustard or hot pepper sauce.

 

[ranchhand]

BYC member Opa just recently posted plans and pics of a really well made rollout nest.