Egg-eating

[buck-buck]

Just a thought, but maybe it’s a matter of “divide and concur”. It sounds like you have (I’m guessing) about 100 birds or so. Is it possible to split them in to groups of say, 25? That way you could use the soapy eggs on a smaller group and let the others eat eggs while you’re training the smaller group. Once the first group is trained, move on to the next and so on (keeping the trained ones away from the 'eaters' of course). It would probably take a month or two to make it through the whole flock but considering it takes about 4-6months for a chick to start producing, it might be worth while giving it a shot. Thats just my 'novice' idea.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Just a thought, but maybe it’s a matter of “divide and concur”. It sounds like you have (I’m guessing) about 100 birds or so. Is it possible to split them in to groups of say, 25? That way you could use the soapy eggs on a smaller group and let the others eat eggs while you’re training the smaller group. Once the first group is trained, move on to the next and so on (keeping the trained ones away from the 'eaters' of course). It would probably take a month or two to make it through the whole flock but considering it takes about 4-6months for a chick to start producing, it might be worth while giving it a shot. Thats just my 'novice' idea.

Thanks for the thought, but no real way to separate them. I can pull out groups of up to six and stick them in the breeding pen, but that's a lot of juggling of chickens and the breeding pen can't be lit, so I'd throw them into moult again if I dropped them back to natural light. Thanks for the idea, though. I am only losing an egg or so per day, so I'm hoping that the problem will go away when I sell cull hens this July.

 

[buck-buck]

Yup, the process of elimiation works every time. You'll know who it was once your production goes back up in July

 

[hennchick]

I found the sticky stuff in the nest this morning, before 8am, all 16 girls are laying and there were only five eggs the other day, if I find out who the culprit is, she will be sorry. Hopefully she was just bored that day, I will have to fix something to keep them busy.

 

[tinychicadees]

This is perfect article, I think I have an egg eater. What exactly are the golf balls suppose to do? I have only about 20 chickens.

 

[appps]

Hennchick - have you eliminated all other culprits? You could have a night visitor too.

Tinychickadees - I am guessing they are so the hens think they are eggs but when they peck at them its like pecking a rock. Not fun and no food. So they give up.

 

[Ruby Mia]

whenever i have an egg eater, i just take the eggs out the nest box as soon as possible so it doesn't give them a chance to eat them.

 

[ChibiCrow]

All of my chickens are egg eater from what I can tell, but we know that if the chickens are getting enough calcium, the shell will not break. So if we have some of our girls eating their eggs, we just give em more calcium.

 

[H E R]

Ok new to this whole thing.... but what is culling?

 

[tinychicadees]

Hennchick - have you eliminated all other culprits? You could have a night visitor too.

Tinychickadees - I am guessing they are so the hens think they are eggs but when they peck at them its like pecking a rock. Not fun and no food. So they give up.

Ok, that's kinda what I thought, but wasn't sure. I will have to give that a try.