Dog and Eggs

[OneLuckeyWife]

I have 30 acres and I also let my birds free range, but only during the day. I don’t want eggs everywhere so I taught them to lay in the nesting boxes. Mine have free run of the land but they always go back to the coop to lay no matter where they might be roaming. Between my rooster and the dog they seem to keep the predators at bay.

How did you make them use the coop? Only Little Hen lays eggs in the nesting box but doesn’t sleep in the coop.

Our neighbors flock stays in their coop except one of their hens sleeps in a brush in their front yard. She just jumps the fences and in the morning returns to the flock.

I did read people have had good luck with spraying eggs with sour apple spray. The one made to deter dogs from chewing things.

 

[Kmarkee]

I locked them in the coop and run for about three days when they first started laying. I put fake eggs in the nesting boxes. Now they go to the coop lay an egg then holler for the rest of the flock. The rooster usually answers and let’s her know where they are and off she goes. It’s really neat to watch.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

You teach the birds that that is where home is,the run and coop is where they live.A rooster or a dog isn’t gonna stop an owl,I am trying to help your best situation as owls do kill at night,search stories.

As mentioned early leave them locked in a cage and run for awhile and they can learn where home is.
I understand the nest isn’t random but you don’t want you day old chciks running around outside.I freer ange during the day and call all the animals home to come up in for dinner and their in for the day.

 

[OneLuckeyWife]

I locked them in the coop and run for about three days when they first started laying. I put fake eggs in the nesting boxes. Now they go to the coop lay an egg then holler for the rest of the flock. The rooster usually answers and let’s her know where they are and off she goes. It’s really neat to watch.

Little Hen, even though she isn’t broody, has killed 2 chicks over coming near her eggs in the nesting box. Is there a way to deter that behavior or just need to add more nesting boxes in a different part? Can she learn to share? There are multiple nesting boxes and she only uses one.

The other hens lay in certain areas of the yard. One in a tree (has a little area in it that a hen can fit perfectly), one in a bush but she has a lot laid in a bucket I had used before transferring a tree to the ground (they have quarreled over this one bucket), and poor Sweet Hen doesn’t seem to understand laying eggs and just pop there’s an egg oh pop over there.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Soemtiems you have to keep adults and chciks Seperate,as usually adults don’t bother chciks but soem do,how old are your animals anyways?What kind of dog do you have?

 

[Criticalicious]

AND here is me thinking if eggs are okay for dogs

People who feed raw diets would say raw eggs are OK for dogs, in moderation of course.

 

[cassie]

As others have pointed out, you are not going to convince your dog not to eat eggs. I once got a nice flock of hens that, according to their owner, didn't lay. She gave them to me and I got lots of eggs. She raised up another batch, and again, no eggs. She was about to give these to me also when, unfortunately for me, her husband happened to look out the kitchen window just in time to see their Doberman sneaking out of the chicken pen.

 

[The Moonshiner]

How big is your dog?
My set up is very simular to yours. Right now I have 7 ducks setting throughout the yard.
And we have three Aussies that have been known to steal eggs sometimes.
I use small plastic dog houses for the ducks to nest and brood in.
I've found some that are big enough for the ducks but the door is small enough the dog can't get in far enough to get the eggs and a pissed off broody duck doesn't just set by and let them easily snatch eggs.
For the ones with bigger doors I lean a pallet a little ways back at the bottom and against the top.
The ducks can easily manage to enter and exit but the dogs can't really squeeze in and around into the box to reach the nest.
If that makes sense.
My dogs really aren't super motivated to steal eggs so they don't try to hard.
Just get or make any kind of box so duck can come and go but dog can't fit in and reach them if your dog isn't small.
PS having them brood inside a box cuts back on those owl attacts also.

 

[OneLuckeyWife]

How big is your dog?
My set up is very simular to yours. Right now I have 7 ducks setting throughout the yard.
And we have three Aussies that have been known to steal eggs sometimes.
I use small plastic dog houses for the ducks to nest and brood in.
I've found some that are big enough for the ducks but the door is small enough the dog can't get in far enough to get the eggs and a pissed off broody duck doesn't just set by and let them easily snatch eggs.
For the ones with bigger doors I lean a pallet a little ways back at the bottom and against the top.
The ducks can easily manage to enter and exit but the dogs can't really squeeze in and around into the box to reach the nest.
If that makes sense.
My dogs really aren't super motivated to steal eggs so they don't try to hard.
Just get or make any kind of box so duck can come and go but dog can't fit in and reach them if your dog isn't small.
PS having them brood inside a box cuts back on those owl attacts also.

What an awesome idea! I also have an Aussie. She hates using the dog house but did go in to take eggs when she realized a hen was using it to lay eggs in. But a small one just might work! We haven’t had many problems with attacks from birds. A owl came once with the first flock and got my roo and a hawk tried to take our drake but he was to fat for the hawk to carry. My dog, Ice, has done amazing since the hawk attack at keeping birds away. She lets a huge grey bird with long legs come and hang out by the pond but he’s really nice and isn’t a predator bird. She also has fought off a bobcat. Tough dog Aussies are great. She has never attack the chickens or harmed them in anyway, either.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Don't trust the sour apple deterrent. I used to have a dog who loved it so much you could pour it into your hand and he'd lick it up like the best treat ever. Note, I only did that once, to confirm that he actually would. Suffice to say it didn't do me any good at all in teaching him not to chew on things I'd put it on.