Egg stealing dogs.

[two j farm]

I'm having a problem with my own dogs eating eggs out of the nest boxes.

I have 3 mix breed dogs and I have never had a problem with them and the chickens or eggs. But yesterday I seen one of them walking up the ramps I have to the nest boxes and she got her a egg. I got on to her and took the egg away. Well this morning I walk out to find one of them sleeping in a box I have hanging.

I only got 1 egg yesterday so I know they got them. What can I do to keep them out of the eggs? My chickens free range and I don't want to lock them or the dogs up. Would it be OK to use pepper around the boxes? I did take the ramps down this morning but I don't

think the chickens are very happy about that.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Oh gosh... one of my friends dogs ended up so obese due to egg thieving.

Can you make the door smaller so chickens can enter the coop but not dogs? This was my solution to stopping my dog from collecting eggs and taking them to my bed when she needed extra attention.

Seeing your LA... are you not locking your coop at night for predator protection from like raccoons, weasels, or whatever y'all might have down there that likes chicken dinner?

That pretty dang cute!

 

[Ginmary]

Can you put something yucky on an egg? Maybe the bitter stuff they sell at the pet stores to keep pets away from things? I was going to suggest a fake egg but that may be dangerous. The dog may grab it and try to swallow and choke.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I don't see why you couldn't take a couple egg shells, drill a tiny hole in each side, blow out the egg, fill it with very hot hot sauce (maybe use a syringe to get it in), then wait.

Let the dogs sneak in, nab the eggs and sneak out only the CRUNCH the eggs open and get a bad surprise.

Alternatively do the same with something like bitteryuck or bitter apple.

I would attempt to get it in the egg not on the outside so it's more of a shock/surprise and more effective otherwise they may try to smell out or gently taste to find out which eggs are no bueno.

 

[PirateGirl]

What if either the door to get in the coop was higher, with a ladder or steps a chicken could get up but not a dog... or the nest boxes are up higher, again, so a chicken can fly up but not the dogs. You could have a ladder or perch or something halfway so the chickens even do it in two stages.

 

[two j farm]

Oh gosh... one of my friends dogs ended up so obese due to egg thieving.

Can you make the door smaller so chickens can enter the coop but not dogs? This was my solution to stopping my dog from collecting eggs and taking them to my bed when she needed extra attention.

Seeing your LA... are you not locking your coop at night for predator protection from like raccoons, weasels, or whatever y'all might have down there that likes chicken dinner?

That pretty dang cute!

I do shut the doors at night. I open one pen at 6am and the other one that has smaller chickens around 10am.

One pen has a small opening for chickens but the dog are small and go right in.

 

[two j farm]

Can you put something yucky on an egg? Maybe the bitter stuff they sell at the pet stores to keep pets away from things? I was going to suggest a fake egg but that may be dangerous. The dog may grab it and try to swallow and choke.

I will try this. I do have fake eggs but they don't get them.

 

[two j farm]

I don't see why you couldn't take a couple egg shells, drill a tiny hole in each side, blow out the egg, fill it with very hot hot sauce (maybe use a syringe to get it in), then wait.

Let the dogs sneak in, nab the eggs and sneak out only the CRUNCH the eggs open and get a bad surprise.

Alternatively do the same with something like bitteryuck or bitter apple.

I would attempt to get it in the egg not on the outside so it's more of a shock/surprise and more effective otherwise they may try to smell out or gently taste to find out which eggs are no bueno.

I will try this

 

[two j farm]

What if either the door to get in the coop was higher, with a ladder or steps a chicken could get up but not a dog... or the nest boxes are up higher, again, so a chicken can fly up but not the dogs. You could have a ladder or perch or something halfway so the chickens even do it in two stages.

I tried this when I had small chicks. The chickens would not go back in the pen to lay or roost. I guess I just have lazy chickens lol.

 

[chickens really]

Bindi my Aussie/Golden Retriver was an egg thief.
Tough love is what it took to break her from that habit..
She trotted into my Ducks pen and happily trotted out with her egg in her mouth. I called her over nicely took the egg from her mouth and drug her back to the pen she stole the egg from. She was scolded and humiliated. I spanked her butt and she hasn't bothered eggs again...
Please note I didn't beat her. She was more upset I was mad at her and the spank reinforced my anger. Now she never goes into the pens..