egg eaters HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chickens~galore]

i have 3 white giants that are a little over 5 months old, 2 roosters and 1 hen. I caught them eating the eggs in the nests and i havent been getting any eggs for a very long time but i just thought it was because of winter time. So i am guessing the reason why i havent got any eggs in a while is because of them. My question is what can i do to stop them? i really dont want to get rid of them. I am definately getting rid of at least one rooster because i dont need two roosters but i dont want to get rid of the hen or the other rooster. What can i do to make them stop that?

Then i have these 4 buff wyandottes, they will be 2 years old in april, and they are not laying at all. I just seperated them into their own house and run two weeks ago and they are still not laying. Havent layed since maybe before christmas. Once agian i just thought it was because of the cold winter months. They have no light either. Why are they not laying?


Chickens~Galore

 

[the_eagle69]

feeding oyster shells may help can be picked up at local feed store. I have always seemed to have trouble with the white giants doing that tho.

 

[twotmama]

Sometimes chickens stop laying when it's cold or if there has been some change in their daily lives, being moved etc. Are you feeding laying mash? And normally a chicken will not eat an egg unless it is broken is there anything else that could like the eggs and be breaking ang stealing them. Dogs, other animals , be sure you nests are in a safe location and off the ground and usually they prefer a non-drafty area. Sometimes the chickens will also moult their first year and some just quit laying till it warms up. I have found the more i feed mine and the more nutrition they get the better they lay.

 

[katrinag]

There are a couple things you can do. Add golf balls or wooden eggs. Try to collect get 3x a day. Some peeps on here have had good luck adding curtians around there nest boxes.

You need to remove 1 roo and add more hens or he will mate the hens to death.

If you can not stop the best thing to do is cull. It is a nasty habbit that spreads like wild fire.

 

[chickens~galore]

i am feeding them egg pellets. and the nests are up off the floor.

 

[chickens~galore]

i am getting rid of at least one roo...see they are housed with like 10 other birds....

 

[Wynette]

It could be stemming from them not having enough protein in their diet. You can supplement by giving some dry cat food; just throw in a handful each day for a few days. Golf balls worked great for me; once they peck at it and realize it can't be broken, they give up.

You can also blow out a few eggs and squirt in something nasty like horseradish sauce or VERY strong mustard. I've heard that works well, but I've never done that.

GOOD LUCK!

Oh, you also should consider giving them stuff to play with - enrich their days, give them something to think about other than egg eating. THey need a new hobby!

YOu say they are just over 5 months and you haven't gotten any eggs in awhile....gosh, I'd think they sure wouldn't have been laying long (?)

 

[chickens~galore]

ok i will try all of that. and i figured they had a lot to do since they get to free range.

and its not the 5 month old ones that havent layed in a while its the almost 2 year olds.

 

[Wynette]

OH, okay - sorry, I mis-read.

If they freerange and have lots to keep them busy, then I'd guess it's a lack of protein. Regarding the cat food, you don't want to give them "too much" or for too long; it's not great for them. I ended up switching to a layer pellet that has higher protein (Buckeye layer/breeder). I still supplement cat food when mine are moulting, but throw in only a handful for 14 chickens every other day for maybe a week on, week off, until they are almost done.

 

[chickens~galore]

ok so just give them a hand full of cat food every other day for a week?