Egg eaters like dish soap!

[Laylashens]

Hello everyone!
Recently I have been struggling with an expanding number of egg eating chickens in the flock. At least two eggs are eaten everyday, and most of the chickens have a taste for eggs. A while ago, I tried filling an eggshell with mustard and giving it to them; they just gobbled it up anyway. I have considered making a bunch of dish soap filled eggs, but never had the time for such a project, until now. Yesterday, Operation Egg Eater took place. I blew out and drained five eggs, filled them with dish soap and yellow food dye, and glued the holes. This morning, I found that things had taken a disgusting turn. all of the fake eggs were devoured, except for the glue and some of the shell. The chickens had been so absorbed in how realistic the yolk looked to the point where they must have ignored the taste of dish soap! Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. How those birds managed to stomach that is unimaginable. If anyone could offer any explanation for why this happened or any alternatives I can take to deal with the egg eaters, that would be great! Thank you!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How those birds managed to stomach that is unimaginable. If anyone could offer any explanation for why this happened or any alternatives I can take to deal with the egg eaters, that would be great!

I would expect some diarrhea to ensue.

How old are the birds, what is their regular feed and how long has this been going on?

Have you tried ceramic or wooden eggs yet? A nice peck with no reward is a great deterrent! I have these in my lay boxes at ALL times. They work.

Lets see pics of your set up. How many birds in how much space, free range or locked down? Boredom and curiosity peck leading to deliciousness and a nightmare is what you've got. Curtains that make nests dark and hide the eggs a little can help.

All else fails... build roll away nests.. or cull your egg eaters (maybe pinless peepers)!

Hope these tips are helpful.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Oh my, your poor birds! I hope they don't get horrible sick from the soap. Chickens don't taste like we do. They do have taste buds, but not too many and they are at the very back of the mouth so by the time they taste something they are swallowing it! Collect your eggs many times every day and leave them fake eggs to peck! Good Luck.

 

[Acre4Me]

Wow!! That a lot of dish soap!

you need to buy fake eggs -wood or ceramic. Buy many. Put several in each nest box (or in the ones that they regularly use). Then they are not rewarded with a treat. Also, you will need to collect eggs more frequently.

If you are unable to collect eggs frequently, then you may need to consider roll away nest boxes. We made one but the eggs didn’t roll away very well, particularly with any straw or bedding in the nest. However, other designs may offer better results.

it is a difficult habit to break. Some people report they had to get rid of the worst offenders (sell them), otherwise they just pass on that habit to others in the flock. But, with hard eggs (wood or ceramic) combined with frequent collection, you may be able to break them of this habit.

good luck.

 

[RoosterML]

Have you tried ceramic or wooden eggs yet? A nice peck with no reward is a great deterrent! I have these in my lay boxes at ALL times. They work.

X2

 

[aart]

I found that things had taken a disgusting turn. all of the fake eggs were devoured, except for the glue and some of the shell

So, @Laylashens and sick birds or bubbly poops today?

 

[Laylashens]

Thank you all for your advice. Luckily, all the chickens are looking fine, as the dish soap I used is pretty gentle and doesn’t contain too many chemicals. We have fifteen chickens, three coops (one particularly large one), and a good-sized, covered run. In the afternoon, they are let out to free range, so I don’t think that space or boredom is an issue. Due to coronavirus, I’m not at school, so I spend a good portion of the morning with them, cleaning coops and constantly checking for eggs. However, I can’t be there all the time and the smart ones always figure out a way to sneak an egg. I talked with my family and the porcelain eggs sound like the best idea; if that doesn’t work, we can try the roll-away nest boxes.