Cannibal hen

[raywood lagneau]

Can anyone advise how to identify a cannibalistic(egg eater) hen in a flock of 35/40 hens and 18 nest boxes.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hiya, and welcome to BYC!

We have Blink cameras. Maybe a couple of cameras of some type would help?

I've never had the issue, but from what I have picked up, it is urgent to handle this or others may follow suit.

You could also post this in this forum for more help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/chicken-behaviors-and-egglaying.18/

 

[nuthatched]

Egg eating isn't cannabilism.
You can try blowing out and filling eggs with orange dish soap.
Examining the diet for nutritional deficiency or un balance.
Coop size cs how many birds.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Good luck finding your egg eater.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Whenever my hens started doing this I did the most un-intuitive thing you can think of: I crushed up some dried egg shells and fed it to them and it always stopped. They seemed to prefer the egg shell to oyster shell but after a couple days of egg shell they would go back to reluctantly munching oyster shell. You will have lots of naysayers to this idea and people will tell you it will actually make it worse but that has not been my experience. As @nuthatched said, it is likely a nutritional deficiency or an environmental issue.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Hi, welcome to BYC!
Good luck with finding your egg-eater!

 

[CurlyChickenGirly]

Welcome to BYC! Yikes! I don’t know but hope you get good advice.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hello, and a belated welcome! Good luck with your egg eater.

 

[Tookie]

Welcome back! Good luck!

 

[N F C]

Welcome back, hope you can id the egg eater.