Egg eating...

[MelindaU]

So I have had chickens for a little over a year now and all was fine until one my hens started to lay some eggs with thin shells. This was not a problem initially, but since they like to share nests, one of the thin shelled eggs got smashed and the other hens started to peck at it and eventually ate it. At first I didn't think anything of it but it started happening more and more often. Then I noticed that they were purposely breaking and eating the other, normal eggs as well. So I looked online to find out what could be done to keep them from eating the eggs and I found an idea for a nesting box with a roll away base using paint pans. I have a prefabricated chicken coop so I had to modify the nest boxes to make it work but I implemented it last night and checked on it this morning and it looks like it's working so far. Here are some pictures:

You can see some of my girls in this one (Left to right: Meridia, Carmen, Vermina, Fluffy & Goldie)

Here's a close ups of Goldie:

She was really curious about what I was doing.

This is the other side.

So basically I found this video on YouTube (

) and this man built his nesting boxes with a roll away egg base using paint pans and out door carpet or artificial turf. I am going to keep an eye on this and I may have to trim some of the artificial grass I used because it is a little thick, but hopefully this will keep my hens from eating the eggs from now on.

 

[sourland]

Well done.

 

[FeatherWings01]

You can also put golf balls in the nest . When they go to peck the hard, tasteless "eggs" , they get bored and leave the real eggs alone . Just an idea

 

[aart]

Pretty clever!
Might need to extend the nest roof to keep the egg dry when it rains?
Please do keep this thread updated.