Couple Questions

[weebles&wobblesmom]

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I've been on here. I have some chickens that are breaking and eating the eggs. I have tried using golf balls (cause I was told they get frustrated when they cant break them and stop), we have also started letting free range our yard all day every day thinking they were just getting bored, but there are still a couple getting broke. Any ideas?
Also, my egg laying has really slowed down. I went have getting any where from 22 eggs a day down to 8 or 9 (including the broken ones). My chickens are 2 yrs old. Not sure if age would have anything t do with it.

I got licensed to sell eggs and now I'm hardly getting any.....LOL go figure.

What about worming? Should I do it even if I don't see any? If so, how long before the eggs can be used?

Sorry so long.
Thank you

 

[Judy]

Those were good approaches. I'll put a link to an article about some other approaches. The best one may be building rollaway nests -- if they consistently lay in them. Age may very well have something to do with laying less. If it's summer where you are, the heat may be slowing them down, too. It has mine. I'll give you another link for that, a good thread that probably covers the subject thoroughly..

Worming is a personal choice. It is usually recommended that you toss eggs for either 14 or 21 days after worming. I like to use Valbazen because it's relatively easy on the hens and gets all the types of worms. It's given in 2 doses, 10 days apart, to kill the worms that hatch after the first worming. Withdrawal is 24 days -- 14 after the last dose. Dose is 0.5 ml by mouth to each bird, either squirted in their mouth or put on a bit of bread, given individually.

If the soil is moist and warm where you live, you are likely to have worms in the soil. People in desert areas seem to have little problem with this. If your birds free range, it's also possible they eat some plant that keeps the worm population down. I know for a fact there are plenty of worms in my soil. You can take a poop sample to many vets and they will do a float test for not a lot of money, if you wish -- of course it's possible the bird has worms and the sample will miss them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/423023/why-arent-my-chickens-laying-here-are-your-answers/0_20

 

[weebles&wobblesmom]

Thank you for your help. Today I actually got 12 eggs and there were only 2 broke. But I dont know if they are laying any around the yard. We have over an acre plus they roam in the fields around us, so they could be laying any where.

 

[dandrews1971]

What is your nest box to hen ratio?
I have had mine 'jockeying' over a box & step on them & break them. Are you sure they are pecking them & eating them?

 

[weebles&wobblesmom]

Yes they are pecking them. We have actually caught them at it. We were told we have to kill the ones doing it, but I think things are turning around since we started letting them out earlier. We are down a few boxes because we had to section off our coop for our younger chicks.