Bad habit that needs to be stopped NOW!!!!!!!!

[12304]

Hi,about a couple weeks ago one of my chickens stepped on on one of their eggs and they ate it

one of my chickens is laying on a clutch of eggs that are fertilized and they are eating those to!!!!! Now i find about one or two eggs eaten everyday

My poor chicken laying on her eggs cant keep the other chickens away from her eggs. How do i break this awful habit????

 

[LarissaSlates98]

Sometimes you can't, but heres what I do with mine that do that. I make sure they have plenty of food and scratch, then I put some fake eggs and golf balls around the coop. After pecking a hard golf ball a few times, that stopped them

 

[12304]

Thank you so much, i will definitely try that!!!!!!

 

[LarissaSlates98]

Youre welcome. I know your frusteration. We rasie Turkens, LF cochins, and others sometimes. And the Turkens think they must eat the eggs. Out of 5 hens only 3 are laying due to and over active rooster and a molt. Now one has went broody -.- I dont think that will help our eggs. Oh well, have around 20 in the Incubator. They are something. I wonder to myself. Why would you eat your own egg! lol

 

[12304]

Hahaha!!!!! Sounds like you have quite the handful there

I just have a small backyard flock consisting of 5 chickens. One of my hens is now broody too, she had about 5 eggs but with this whole egg eating situation the eggs are slowly disappearing

 

[LarissaSlates98]

I know that! I had a silkie before and the others would eat the eggs every time she came off to eat. out of 8 only 1 egg hatched because of it

 

[12304]

I think thats how my situation is going to end up. We are down to 2 eggs, but i just candled them and everything is going well!!!!

 

[LarissaSlates98]

Yup! Thats why I use the good old incubator if I want to make sure everyone is okay an dnot eaten as a developing peep in an egg

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I would make her a pen inside the coop. Big enough for her nest, food, water and a place to get away and poop- if your coop is big enough to accommodate one. If it isn't (which mine isn't), here is what I do. I have a large bird cage, there is no food or water inside, just the hen and her nest. Everyday I open the cage and remove the hen from the nest so she can eat, drink and poop. Then I put her back in, close the door and repeat the next day around the same time. Leave the hen on the nest for the last 3 days. I also use an XL dog crate as a broody pen outside the coop. It has hardware cloth on it so no predators can reach in and one end is wrapped in a shower curtain I picked up at the Dollar Store so they can stay dry. If the other ladies can't get to your broody, they can't eat her eggs. Good luck!

 

[1muttsfan]

Broodies and their eggs and chicks are safer being separated until the chicks are a little older