Blue Jays Eating Eggs

[Chang1993]

Hello to all,
Do anyone having problems of blue jays eaten your hen eggs? If you having problems, here is my result. I have broody hens and layer hens, I did my daily routine before breakfast, lunch, and dinner and as I went in side my broody or layer enclosure, some of the eggs are peck through also my layer enclosure. First, my thought goes I think it was rats or mice. One day, I went into my enclosure, I close the door behind and saw a pair of blue jay eating my eggs. If you have problems with them, trap them and dump them somewhere far. I did that, but it still doesn't work. I get rid of my pigeons because of the same problems I am going through right now.

 

[DiYMama540]

I have quite the flock of blue jays that visits regularly. I've never caught them sneaking eggs before, but I can't say it surprises me.
I'm not sure it's legal to trap them though. Maybe try a scarecrow or hang some pie pans.

 

[BDutch]

Such a beautiful birds. I wouldn't mind if a blue jay came here to snatch a egg.

 

[Chang1993]

I got a friend who raised blue jays, but don't that's illegal to raised and breed them to be domesticated. The blue jays I caught were only trapped and released, so I think it's legal to do so.

 

[aart]

Hmmm...how are jays getting into your coop?
They are big birds pretty easy to mesh them out.

 

[Chang1993]

Hmmm...how are jays getting into your coop?
They are big birds pretty easy to mesh them out.

I don't know too. Maybe the holes that the rats create it. Somehow, my barn cats got rid of the rats. I don't know where did the jay came in from. I mean blue jays are beautiful, but just doesn't like they are eaten my eggs.

 

[sourland]

5 and 20 blue jays baked in a pie

 

[aart]

I don't know too. Maybe the holes that the rats create it. Somehow, my barn cats got rid of the rats. I don't know where did the jay came in from. I mean blue jays are beautiful, but just doesn't like they are eaten my eggs.

Too bad the cats don't take care of the jay.
I seriously doubt a jay would go thru a rat hole.
If you want help excluding the jays, post some pics of your coop and run and we can probably figure out how they are getting in and how to fix it.

 

[All Ball]

I just discovered one in the act today. Unfortunately my girls are backyard free-rangers, and use a covered dog carrier to lay eggs. I'll try to encourage them to go into the mini-coop instead; hopefully the jays won't fly in through the door but they are so clever...guess I'll begin hanging old CDs and such around. Another idea might be to hang a fringe of cloth strips or clear plastic strips inside the door and teach the girls to go through it. We've got a really big jay population this year - i was assuming because of acorn availability...so far I've only lost about 3 eggs to them. Since I caught the last one in the act, at least the girls got to eat it.

 

[Mojo raptor]

I have quite the flock of blue jays that visits regularly. I've never caught them sneaking eggs before, but I can't say it surprises me.
I'm not sure it's legal to trap them though. Maybe try a scarecrow or hang some pie pans.

I am having the same problem. I am losing. A minimum of 20% a day. My hens are free range so I leave my them cooped up till 10:30 in the morning the Blue Jays are pretty brazen. They are waiting in trees sometimes as close as 10 feet from me when I let the hens out. By 1030, most of my hens have laid. It is frustrating! I also check the laying boxes more frequently.

Most of the time, it’s just one beak hole in the egg. This tells me they are destroying the competition for food. Yes, Blue Jays are pretty and they are a alarm bird for predators, but I would rather not have them in my backyard. They are bullies and they will run smaller song birds out of your yard.