egg eaters

[Birdman3]

anyone out there know how to deter my little girls from eating one anothers eggs?

 

[smith2]

I have just spent the past year dealing with an egg eater. I tried everything I could think of: isolation, increase calcium and vits, high-protein layer pellets, etc. She went in the pot yesterday. Eating eggs is a bad habit that once allowed to start can rarely be broken. As soon as you figure out who the culprit is, you need to separate her or they will all start eating eggs. There are several web sites about different things you can do to try and get them to stop. Good luck. Mine was making such a mess eating hers and everyone else's that I finally had it. In the pot she went!

 

[Birdman3]

THANKS, I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE OR FOUR. THEY HAVE ABOUT A 1/4 ACRE TO RUN IN AND THEY ALL LOOK ALIKE. I THINK THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR OF THEM NOW.

 

[estpr13]

Once one starts the others will follow suit. Eggs are very good nurishment. Find the culprit(s) fast. Find out when they are laying and get the eggs as soon and often as you can to help discourage this. Also get some faux eggs and see if this will help. Otherwise in the pot she needs to go. (or a pen with a roll out bottom.)

 

[can you hear me now?]

here is a suggestion somebody gave to me. If you made your laying box or boxes you can tilt and lean it a bit and build it to roll and drop the egg underneath the box into a hole with a padded bottom so it wont break. When you are ready you only have to go out and collect from there instead of the other thing. SO far it has worked pretty good for me.

 

[amysflock]

Can you post photos of your tilting nest box? That sounds like a great idea, I just can't picture how that would work.

 

[Davaroo]

Roll away nests are the final passive solution. The stewpot is the final, FINAL solution.

Egg eating starts because hens are clumsy, often crammed into crowded nests. They stomp around and eggs get broken.
So make sure the nests are big enough and add some padding. 4" of clean litter should do it, with a front rail to hold in the padding.
They dont move around much in the dark, so hang a curtain over the front of the nest to darken it. They also dont eat what they can't see.

Collect eggs early and often to remove temptation.
Replace them with golf balls. Shell try to peck them open, get her head rattled by the hard ball and may give up. MAY give up, as in maybe.

All that is well and good, but once the habit begins it is unlikely to stop without serious intervention. This is where roll away nests come in. AS the name implies, the egg is layed - and rolls out of reach of the hen. There are many good designs. Just do a google search for them. I found a good design on ebay for a few bucks.

In the old days, an egg eating hen was culled. There was little fanfare or heart-tugging concern for a pet chicken that had the habit. As soon as the hen with egg on her face was spotted, she was removed. Permanently.

 

[Birdman3]

THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR IMPUT. BEING A "NEWBE" AT THIS I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN. I LIKE THE SUGGESTIONS, ESPECIALLY THE GOLF BALLS AND THE ROLL AWAY NEST BOX. I JUST ADDED 12 NEW NEST BOXES FOR THE GIRLS. I KEEP LOOKING FOR THE "EATER".

 

[Skyesrocket]

Someone on another forum suggested breaking an egg on the ground in front of the suspected egg eating hens. If they go for the shell first, up their calcium. If they leave the shell and eat the yoke, they need more protein.
After having turkens for years this is the first year I have had a problem with egg eaters. I have narrowed it down to the two smallest hens. They don't eat their own eggs...they fly into the silkies pen and eat the silkies eggs.
I thought I solved the problem and a silkie hen started brooding a nest of eggs. Today I noticed the hen off of the nest to eat so I checked on the eggs. The silkie eggs are all gone, replaced with turken eggs!
These two turken hens are out of here this weekend!

 

[Birdman3]

AFTER THE 12 NEW NEST BOXES, THE LAYERS SEEM TO HAVE CHANGED WHERE THEY WERE LAYING AND THE EGG PRODUCTION IS BACK UP. I ALSO STARTED FEEDING THEM WHEN I GET HOME FROM WORK. 2 X'S PER DAY. HOWEVER, I M STILL LOOKING FOR THE "ONE W/ EGG ON HER FACE." IT'S ODD THAT TWO HENS DECIDE THAT THEY WANT THE SAME BOX AND I'LL FIND THEM BOTH SITTING IN THERE. THESE GUYS ARE FUNNY!!!!: