California - Northern

[EZFarms]

So i ccaught the egg eater yello beaked. i have free feed oyster shell but idk what else to do. its my german and i really dont wanna get fid of her but she cant keep eating eggs

 

[BCollie]

So i ccaught the egg eater yello beaked. i have free feed oyster shell but idk what else to do. its my german and i really dont wanna get fid of her but she cant keep eating eggs

Put a bunch of fake ceramic eggs in the nest box and collect eggs every day as soon as they're laid, so that when she tries to eat an egg she won't be able to. She'll tap it as hard as she can with her beak but it won't break.

 

[caychris]

So i ccaught the egg eater yello beaked. i have free feed oyster shell but idk what else to do. its my german and i really dont wanna get fid of her but she cant keep eating eggs

Was searching BYC and the things that come to mind as a result are. Separate her and collect her eggs quickly. Can also try leaving a wood egg with her (she cant break it so..)

Is she eating shell or is she after the yolk that could mean a different deficiency in the diet.

 

[ronott1]

So i ccaught the egg eater yello beaked. i have free feed oyster shell but idk what else to do. its my german and i really dont wanna get fid of her but she cant keep eating eggs

Do you have golf balls in the next box?

Parasites can cause weak egg shells too.

A trick to get the egg shells harder is to mix a bit of food grade Diatomaceous Earth into their feed. It is very important that you use Food Grade DE

 

[EZFarms]

No golf balls or ceremaic eggs atm. i may try seperating her. i wprk 5 days a week so i cany collect the eggs quick.
she was going for the yolk for than the shell

 

[caychris]

No golf balls or ceremaic eggs atm. i may try seperating her. i wprk 5 days a week so i cany collect the eggs quick.
she was going for the yolk for than the shell

Its coming on summer vacation you might be able to hire a kid for the "odd job".

 

[EZFarms]

Hahah yeaaa no. my bf got flogged thr otger day just going in the coop lol. i might have my dad do it though

 

[chiqita]

No golf balls or ceremaic eggs atm. i may try seperating her. i wprk 5 days a week so i cany collect the eggs quick.
she was going for the yolk for than the shell

All chickens eat open egg it is instictive. They all peck the shell to see if it is hatch worthy too. The key is to make rhe shell strong enough to survive the initial peck.

 

[EZFarms]

Wont oyster shell make the shell stronger?

 

[caychris]

Ok based on the egg eater issue I ran into the idea of a forced molt. I found a Universtity of Nebraska paper about it and it seemed to indicate that it can preserve the laying life of your flock.

Aside from light management the main factor seems to be depriving the chicken of food for 10 days.

Being new to chickens I'm not sure what to think of the practice. Just in a clinical sense I was thinking it could be used to break an egg eater of the habit.

I would also think that some show chicken people would use it to ensure the timing of proper plumage.