Egg Eating Chicken and I am out of ideas

[frugal farmer]

Finger nail. Just clip the top beak to where it's even with the bottom. It takes longer to catch them then to clip them

 

[janshavedice]

The cure for an egg-eating hen is a man eating hen.

 

[thepurplecoop]

All this talk about egg eating chickens reminded me I needed to check my nesting box!

(Whew! All there...)

Here's my two cents worth: if I had to rehome an egg eating chicken I would feel so obliged to tell the new owner she's an egg eater and around here not many people would want an egg eating chicken since they all have layers themselves. Perhaps a 4-h club might want her?

I so love my birds but I have to be honest and say I would cull an egg eating chicken.

 

[keystone]

Had the same problem with an "egg eater". Decided to modify my laying boxes and design a rolling box. My existing box was too small so I added an extension on the opening to allow for enough pitch. I placed a baffle that allows eggs to roll under and cushioned the ramp with a mat designed for such purposes.

 

[bravevline]

Hello All. I have a Delaware chicken to which I discovered is the culprit of constant egg eating.  She waits outside the nesting box and eats the egg faster than I can stop it.  I am not one to put down an animal, so I have tried all I have heard of...curtains on nesting boxes; checking often to take out eggs; fake eggs; golf balls; a clean coop; cod liver oil or mustard in egg shells; lots of treats for the girls; and a large run.  I cannot use the nesting boxes that have the eggs roll out to a safe holding area due to how we constructed the coop.  

I have been removing her from the coop every day leaving her outside to which is ok for now, but winter is coming.  She has been out for two weeks, and I tried leaving her in yesterday but she immediately was back into her old routine of stalking the nesting boxes when another chicken was in them and got to an egg before me.  

Is there anything else someone can think of for me to try?  

with me, behavior like this gets a chicken an invitation to dinner. we cant let animals eat our food or potential livestock. the way i feel it is that if youre willing to eat a chicken, you should be willing to butcher at least one sonetime and learn how it is done. if you eat eggs it is also the same as eating chickens. if you dont eat them or their eggs, you shouldnt be very concerned about it. also note that if you have another hen go broody, and she tries to eat her eggs, you could end up with a bloody fight on your hands. if youre just raising them as pets and not to produce any food, you shouldnt be worrying. if you want anything edible from them, remember we have raised these birds for meat and eggs for thousands of years.

 

[Farmer Joe]

I had the same problem and then one by one they all learned how good eggs taste. I put in rollout boxes and haven't lost an egg since.

 

[artsyrobin]

I had the same problem and then one by one they all learned how good eggs taste. I put in rollout boxes and haven't lost an egg since.

do you have pics of yours? i think they are a wonderful option!

 

[3 NH reds]

I too would like to see the roll out nest box...

Here is a cheap and quick one I got at Randal Burkey. I just put a scrap piece of 2-4 under the front and egg eating ended. I tried leaded eggs etc and nothing worked but this did. And I was ready to cull but now I don't need to. that sits on an angle and the eggs roll to the back

how do you know there is an egg eater? is there shell pieces left and sticky bedding? just asking because I have a coop of jersey giant girls white rock and r.i.r. girls, they are almost a year old and I got 4 eggs a couple months ago, THEN NOTHING! Is it possible they are eating them and not leaving a trace of what they have done?

Yep my Red would eat it all up with nothing to find. Usually around the end of mol.

 

[702marine]

Do you have a link for that please?

Here is a cheap and quick one I got at Randal Burkey. I just put a scrap piece of 2-4 under the front and egg eating ended. I tried leaded eggs etc and nothing worked but this did. And I was ready to cull but now I don't need to. that sits on an angle and the eggs roll to the back Yep my Red would eat it all up with nothing to find. Usually around the end of mol.

 

[artsyrobin]

http://www.randallburkey.com/Plastic-Roll-Out-Nest-Bottom/productinfo/10109/#.VCbjzBbtBLN

Do you have a link for that please?
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