Egg Eating Troubles: Are Roll-Away Nesting Boxes the Solution?

[chicken mama 0908]

I'm having problems too. Already doing all the normal suggestions but still they're eating away and leaving me with about nothing (I have 14 chickens). Haven't been able to figure out which ones are doing it yet and I really DON'T want to cull them! Been contemplating roll out boxes but I don't have an extra $300-$400 to spend. You can find cheap ones on Amazon or Temu but they look like JUNK. I'd rather custom build one... something simple but I haven't been able to find any easy DIY plans.

Yes!!! It is soooo annoying to go collect eggs and find a puddle of goop. Temu is by far the cheapest, but I agree they look like junk.

 

[ShotgunDog]

I have one girl (of 9) who is doing this (I believe it is only one). I have homemade rollaway nesting boxes. But my situation is that I am not here (my farm) 100% of the time. I have to split my time between my home and my farm until I retire. My egg 'gutter' (where the eggs collect) can hold a lot of eggs. The 'preferred' nesting box (#1 of 4) usually gets a good collection of eggs in that corner, causing the eggs to stack up just a bit, usually just to the wall dividing the nesting box and the gutter. It is here that I typically find an egg...or two...that have been eaten. This is a very new issue for me. To resolve the issue, last evening I blew out an egg and filled it with mustard. I placed the egg where I usually find the eaten eggs. As of right now, 3 eggs have been laid today, none have been eaten, including my "mustard egg". If it works, I will let you know!

 

[Bill Rugg]

Hello fellow chicken keepers!

I have twenty laying hens (planning on adding more soon) and have been experiencing egg eating problems. I have tried collecting eggs hourly and have also tried fake eggs etc. I saw roll away nesting boxes as an idea to break the habit, but I would like to know some pros and cons before I dive in and buy some. Also, I would like to buy premade ones if possible so any links to an affordable option would be appreciated.

Thanks for the help

Afternoon
We have the same problems recently. I purchased a roll away nesting box, it’s been a week and only 3 hens use the box. I know it will take time, but the egg eating continues. I’m going to try filling an empty egg shell with mustard to deter them eating more

 

[ShotgunDog]

I have one girl (of 9) who is doing this (I believe it is only one). I have homemade rollaway nesting boxes. But my situation is that I am not here (my farm) 100% of the time. I have to split my time between my home and my farm until I retire. My egg 'gutter' (where the eggs collect) can hold a lot of eggs. The 'preferred' nesting box (#1 of 4) usually gets a good collection of eggs in that corner, causing the eggs to stack up just a bit, usually just to the wall dividing the nesting box and the gutter. It is here that I typically find an egg...or two...that have been eaten. This is a very new issue for me. To resolve the issue, last evening I blew out an egg and filled it with mustard. I placed the egg where I usually find the eaten eggs. As of right now, 3 eggs have been laid today, none have been eaten, including my "mustard egg". If it works, I will let you know!View attachment 4077692

Wanted to provide an update on my egg eating issue, just in case it helps. I found the culprit--she was caught with mustard on her beak. That being said, she is VERY stubborn. I am putting in multiple 'mustard' eggs, and the mustard has a LOT of hot sauce AND cayenne pepper in it. Though she doesn't seem to care for the contents, that hasn't stopped her from testing out these egg bombs. As of 3 days ago, she had broken into 6 of them that I've put out. And, unfortunately, I don't think it is just her being curious and bored--I think she is having laying issues. I've had several shell-less eggs that I suspect were hers, and I've gotten at least one 'flattened' egg that I know was hers. I'm planning on starting her on Calcium Citrate + D this weekend. I hope it helps her--she is my sweetest girl.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am putting in multiple 'mustard' eggs, and the mustard has a LOT of hot sauce AND cayenne pepper in it.

Birds don't have capsaicin receptors like mammals do so all the hot sauce in the world shouldn't deter her.

 

[ShotgunDog]

Birds don't have capsaicin receptors like mammals do so all the hot sauce in the world shouldn't deter her.

I have to say you must be right. She ate two more mustard bombs in the last 3 days and ate another egg before I could gather it this morning. Time to reconfigure the egg gutter in my nesting box. Very frustrating.

 

[chickmama29]

Hello fellow chicken keepers!

I have twenty laying hens (planning on adding more soon) and have been experiencing egg eating problems. I have tried collecting eggs hourly and have also tried fake eggs etc. I saw roll away nesting boxes as an idea to break the habit, but I would like to know some pros and cons before I dive in and buy some. Also, I would like to buy premade ones if possible so any links to an affordable option would be appreciated.

Thanks for the help

I'm having a major egg eating problem and we have The Best Nest Box (five of them!). I've covered underneath the egg area with sturdy cardboard and they pecked thru it and eventually knocked the entire piece of cardboard down but even before they destroyed the cardboard they were reaching their necks down in to the egg area and pecking the eggs. Was going to try to fill broken eggs with mustard but after reading online there are hens that will eat the mustard! Will prob'ly try that anyway as a hail mary. I'm going to the coop three times a day to gather eggs just to stay ahead of them and it's still not enough. They're on 17% protein organic feed, have a ton of water available, pastured (no e-netting even right now) and plenty of space inside. I do think we need to raise the lower nest boxes out of reach if it's possible in our coop. There is one coop that's above the others and that one doesn't ever have pecked or eaten eggs but technically it's too high at approximately 4' up. Maybe with a chicken stairway leading to higher boxes??? EXTREMELY frustrated! Ideas or suggestions welcome!

 

[FrostRanger]

I'm having a major egg eating problem and we have The Best Nest Box (five of them!). I've covered underneath the egg area with sturdy cardboard and they pecked thru it and eventually knocked the entire piece of cardboard down but even before they destroyed the cardboard they were reaching their necks down in to the egg area and pecking the eggs. Was going to try to fill broken eggs with mustard but after reading online there are hens that will eat the mustard! Will prob'ly try that anyway as a hail mary. I'm going to the coop three times a day to gather eggs just to stay ahead of them and it's still not enough. They're on 17% protein organic feed, have a ton of water available, pastured (no e-netting even right now) and plenty of space inside. I do think we need to raise the lower nest boxes out of reach if it's possible in our coop. There is one coop that's above the others and that one doesn't ever have pecked or eaten eggs but technically it's too high at approximately 4' up. Maybe with a chicken stairway leading to higher boxes??? EXTREMELY frustrated! Ideas or suggestions welcome!

I would feed a feed with 20% protein and provide oyster shell on the side if you don't already

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I'm having a major egg eating problem and we have The Best Nest Box (five of them!). I've covered underneath the egg area with sturdy cardboard and they pecked thru it and eventually knocked the entire piece of cardboard down but even before they destroyed the cardboard they were reaching their necks down in to the egg area and pecking the eggs. Was going to try to fill broken eggs with mustard but after reading online there are hens that will eat the mustard! Will prob'ly try that anyway as a hail mary. I'm going to the coop three times a day to gather eggs just to stay ahead of them and it's still not enough. They're on 17% protein organic feed, have a ton of water available, pastured (no e-netting even right now) and plenty of space inside. I do think we need to raise the lower nest boxes out of reach if it's possible in our coop. There is one coop that's above the others and that one doesn't ever have pecked or eaten eggs but technically it's too high at approximately 4' up. Maybe with a chicken stairway leading to higher boxes??? EXTREMELY frustrated! Ideas or suggestions welcome!

Can you post a pic of the ingredients label for your feed?

Often with organic chicken feed the protein is all plant-based (plus some lab-created methionine, which is permitted.) Chickens need some animal protein as well. (This can includes bugs and worms.)

It might be worth experimenting with adding animal protein on the side, something different each day. A can of sardines (yuck for me), canned cat food, ground beef, chopped boiled eggs, and so forth.

Note: these ^^^ are in addition to chicken feed, not instead of.

In the end, you may just have to switch feeds, to such as FrostRanger recommends above.