Egg Eater...Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ladybug4ut1]

I have fifteen hens and three roosters in one coop....I thought I was not getting eggs from them...well I have results of an egg eater....what do i need to do to find out who it is....I have about 10 ee hens and i am trying to make a pen of them so I do not want ot just get rid of everybody,....Please help with situation.......thanks

 

[rockabilly7]

rather than try to find out who it is I would inccrease the calcium in their diets that usually why they eat their own eggs, and see how that goes first if they stop eating them then problem solveed if not then try to seperate them.

 

[digitS']

How large is this coop and is there room for 18 chickens?

Why 3 roosters? Something that I haven't seen discussed is that the roosters can often be the egg eaters and if there's one that can teach the bad habit to others - it's the roo.

Are these new layers and are the eggs being eaten in the nest boxes or on the floor?

Harder eggshells will help with accidentally broken eggs and if an egg is accidentally broken, it will be eaten.

Make sure their feed has adequate protein. I've fed rinsed, canned tuna.

Collect the eggs often. You may need to really devote some time to watching the birds.

Steve

 

[ladybug4ut1]

Yes there is enough room for them....I have three roos cause one is a 10 week old growing up in the coop so he will not fight.....I am currently trying to build another pen for one roo and the non ee from this pen...they are not new layers.....I have been collecting eggs every day and when i am home during the day i collect them.....I added oyster shell into pen today....and i am getting some eggs but today found one where someone had started eating shell and egg...I will be keeping a close eye this weekend while on holidays.....Just looking for some help......Eggs are been eatin in nest box and there are other eggs up there......Wednesday when i got home from work went in to collect eggs all i found was wet from the white stuff so that is how i knew someone was eating them....no eggs that day...THanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ChickLuver]

I have read some where that one way to "cure" an egg eatter is to blow out several eggs and fill with spicy mustard. Mark the eggs so you don't collect them. Like I said I read this some place. It sounds like it would work.....Good luck

 

[digitS']

Ladybug4ut1, it looks like you are at the very beginning of this problem and it may be just aberrant behavior.

I've had that happen - hen laying for months suddenly decides to start eating eggs. She didn't take too long to go back to being a good little hen. But as I've said elsewhere, I had to be "on her like a birddog on a quail."

Mostly, it was about denying her the chance to have much time with the eggs but I also gave all of the hens additional protein. And, I tidied up the nestboxes trying to make them especially clean & comfy.

Some folks have had good success curtaining the nestboxes. I've seen it recommended to darken the nesting area - coop lights over the feed and water, only. The idea is that they will lay in the dark but if they can't see the egg, they won't sample.

You seem to have the right attitude - fix it now! I know it can be a terrible problem and wish you the best of luck.

Steve