Egg Eating/Won't use roll away boxes

[feathersforus]

Recently I was stuck at the hospital with a child for an extended amount of time. During that time the chicken eggs were not being collected in a timely manner and my chickens began eating their eggs. It was a DISGUSTING mess.

I'm not sure which one is the culprit of breaking them (it may be all), but they all eat the eggs and chase each other around to get them. We added paint trays in their nesting boxes to make roll away boxes. Unfortunately they won't use them and are laying them directly outside the nesting boxes where they are being eaten.

Today as I rescued an egg one of my girls literally jumped up, pecked and broke the egg I was holding! I am getting REALLY frustrated. Chicken soup is sounding better and better!!

I haven't completed the boxes although they are usable. I was going to line them with the same fake grass their old boxes had. Any advice on how to get them to lay in the new boxes? Help!

 

[feathersforus]

Anyone?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Have you tried mustard eggs (filling an egg shell with mustard and letting them find that instead) - supposedly chickens don't like the taste of it.

Sturdy fake eggs might help, simply because they can't break into them (the idea being that it would frustrate them).

You mentioned that the new nest boxes aren't completed yet? I would try lining them or making them match the old ones as much as possible, just to see if you can convince them to use those instead.

 

[aart]

Hard to use fake eggs in a roll out nest.
Definitely get the fake grass in there...still might take time.
Are nests in the same place and same size, etc?

It IS a frustrating and nasty mess...BTDT.
The fact that they are pecking at intact eggs in your hand means it's not just opportunistic eating of thin or softshell eggs....but a habit that may be hard to break.

Are they crowded?
How big is coop and run, in feet by feet, for how many birds?
Dimensions, and pics, would help immensely.

What all and how exactly are you feeding?
Egg eating can start due to a lack of nutrition, but become a habit.

How old are your birds and how long have they been laying??
Did this only start during your absence?

 

[feathersforus]

@aart
The birds turned one year in April. They have been laying since last fall.

The egg eating started while I was away (approx. 3 weeks) and has been going on for about 6 weeks. It was an unplanned absence (sick child in the hospital) and I hadn't made arrangements for someone to collect the eggs. In addition they weren't getting time to free range which they typically get regularly. I'm guessing boredom was part of the propblem. Once we had everything taken care of, the egg eating had already begun.

The nesting boxes are actually the same, we just inserted the painter trays to create a slant and covered area. Now they are laying their eggs directly in front of the door to the laying boxes.

There are six chickens and they have a huge enclosed walk-in run in addition to coop. I'm not sure of the exact measurements, but it is very roomy. I can try to get you a picture.

They are currently being fed Purima Premium Layer Feed.

I was considering buying one of the prefab free standing rollaway boxes and just blocking off the area where they are making trouble altogether. Like a complete reset... although I don't know how easy it will be to get them to start using a new nesting box all together.

Sigh...

Thoughts?

 

[aart]

I hadn't made arrangements for someone to collect the eggs

But they were being fed and watered?

There are six chickens and they have a huge enclosed walk-in run in addition to coop. I'm not sure of the exact measurements, but it is very roomy. I can try to get you a picture.

I look forward to it.

I was considering buying one of the prefab free standing rollaway boxes and just blocking off the area where they are making trouble altogether. Like a complete reset... although I don't know how easy it will be to get them to start using a new nesting box all together.

Any change will take time to adjust to.

 

[50-45-1]

Boredom and broken eggs probably started this.if possible darkening the nests may help. Some folks add curtins to the front. A chicken cant eat what they cant see.
If nothing else helps, Before you get frustrated enough to scrap this flock, try some pinless peepers.
They work like blinders. They do not harm the bird, they can still eat and drink, but will work for a variety of problems. Feather picking, egg eating, bullying and aggression.
I bought mine on Amazon, cost 13 dollars for 24 blinders and the tool to put them on.
They would not wear them perminatly, just a month or so. Then take them off and see how it goes. Chickens have short memories and may forget about egg eating.

 

[luisrosa411]

Did the pinless peepers work?

 

[DLA]

Did the pinless peepers work?

The thread starter hasn't been on since june of 2019 so you probably won't get an answer from them but maybe someone that's used pinless peepers can chime in and tell you how they worked for them. I've not used them myself but I've read they can be effective sometimes, more for aggression and feather pecking issues and such with a specific bird. Egg eating is very hard to cure especially if the whole flock is doing it.