Barn Cats eating my Chicken eggs

[lzufelt]

Hi everyone,

I have three barn cats that have stuck around and I feed every day twice a day. They are great mousers and I have no issues with keeping them for as long as they want to stay BUT I believe they are eating my chicken eggs, which is not okay.

My 11 girls have slowed down their egg production as the days are short and I do not supplement light source for them. Last week I had collected 7 eggs and one off the top fell and broke on the floor. The cats sniffed around and as I finished up chores the three cats enjoyed a fresh egg. I didn't think anything else of it until yesterday when I did not find a single egg. I let the chickens free range and sometimes I can't find an egg if its in a dark spot. This morning I went out and did another check and couldn't find a single egg from the day before (very frustrating) but I saw one of my girls make a nest and lay her egg, finishing with her song. Tonight I went to collect my eggs and there were none!!!! Not a single egg! Not even the one that I saw being laid.

I noticed a couple of home made nests but no eggs!

What can I do to deter my cats from eating the eggs?

 

[rockriver]

Try to drain an egg dry and put mustard in it or somthing nasty then leave it out for them to eat

 

[Miss Biddy]

Maybe paint the egg with hot sauce or mustard? Or both! Hehe.
Would scattering fake eggs around work too?

 

[lzufelt]

Those are great ideas! Thank you! It's actually what I was thinking I just didn't know if it was safe for cats or not!

 

[aart]

Mustard just makes a mess most the time.

I'd make sure it's your cats that are eating the eggs.
Are the shells left? I don't think cats would eat the shells..but chickens would.
Are you finding a mess? Usually even chickens can't eat all the egg off the surface and a wet mess will remain.

If you are free ranging there's a good chance they are laying somewhere out in the range area.
Coop the birds up for a few days, and check for eggs often.
This will habituate them to using the coop nests again.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[tgf753]

I just had the same problem so I installed a trail cam. I wasn't sure what was eating the eggs and leaving the shells. I keep food out 24/7 for the barn cats, so I didn't really think it was them, but I was wrong. I put 5 ceramic eggs on the nest to hopefully deter them.