Have a mixed flock of large fowl hens in a coop with a rooster and 7 bantams in a tractor with a roo. Have 25 babies in the brooder.
So I have a smallish egg business selling the large fowl eggs to people at my gym. We use the bantam eggs ourselves. At the end of summer last year I had a small problem with egg eating and wasn't sure who it was. In fact I thought it was a buff orp. Then they molted and no or super few eggs till about 2 months ago. I was collecting every few hours to try to catch the culprit. The eggs I got had yolk all over them, Super messy.
So After a bad day I got FED UP. I put the 2 buff orps in a cage and the 4 barred rocks in a cage. Leaving me with the few golden comets and 2 leghorns. The buffs continued to lay in the cage. The barred rocks I got nothing from on any day.
So I put the buffs back in coop and left the barred rocks in the cage. I got eggs and no more yolk problems. I waited 4 days and I was still not getting any eggs from the barred rocks.
We had 3 days of horrific rain so I took pity and let the barred rocks out. Today the FIRST full day they had been back in the coop. I came back from picking up son from sleep over and went to check for eggs. CAUGHT the culprit in the act!! BArred rock eating the remains of one egg and another was in the nest.
I TRIED to grab her, but she ran out and then I had to go around to run and could not tell which of the 4 barred rocks it was.SOOO mad as I was I caught all 4 barred rocks and put them back in cage.
So I guess from here I wait a few days and then let them out one at a time to see which hen it is??? Then she will be my first try at meat chickens. It is possible for me to try just one for a few days and then switch up to see which one it is.Soo mad. ANy advice and yea I don't really want to " Fix her". Just figure out which one is culprit and get rid of her.
Any help?
So I have a smallish egg business selling the large fowl eggs to people at my gym. We use the bantam eggs ourselves. At the end of summer last year I had a small problem with egg eating and wasn't sure who it was. In fact I thought it was a buff orp. Then they molted and no or super few eggs till about 2 months ago. I was collecting every few hours to try to catch the culprit. The eggs I got had yolk all over them, Super messy.
So After a bad day I got FED UP. I put the 2 buff orps in a cage and the 4 barred rocks in a cage. Leaving me with the few golden comets and 2 leghorns. The buffs continued to lay in the cage. The barred rocks I got nothing from on any day.
So I put the buffs back in coop and left the barred rocks in the cage. I got eggs and no more yolk problems. I waited 4 days and I was still not getting any eggs from the barred rocks.
We had 3 days of horrific rain so I took pity and let the barred rocks out. Today the FIRST full day they had been back in the coop. I came back from picking up son from sleep over and went to check for eggs. CAUGHT the culprit in the act!! BArred rock eating the remains of one egg and another was in the nest.
I TRIED to grab her, but she ran out and then I had to go around to run and could not tell which of the 4 barred rocks it was.SOOO mad as I was I caught all 4 barred rocks and put them back in cage.
So I guess from here I wait a few days and then let them out one at a time to see which hen it is??? Then she will be my first try at meat chickens. It is possible for me to try just one for a few days and then switch up to see which one it is.Soo mad. ANy advice and yea I don't really want to " Fix her". Just figure out which one is culprit and get rid of her.
Any help?
