Evicting Egg Eaters??

[TurkeyJohn]

Hey Folks,

Have had issues with 5 older birds eating the odd egg, when they decide to lay as it is.... We've tried the soap in the empty egg thing, rolling egg nests, and they still seem to be able to get at them.... Thing is, I have 5 new girls scheduled to come in a couple of days and definitely don't want them picking up bad habits...

We have a roaming chicken flock that roam the neighbourhood, we are rural, in search of feed all the time.... They like to pick around my coop for any stray grain that gets outside.... They're from the neighbour and he lets them roam through the day and then has a pen for them overnight.....

The reason I mention the roamers, is that it adds an option to what to do with my egg eaters.....

First obvious option is to put them in the pot, but being layers, they aren't particularly good eating.... I could just dispatch them on their own and dig a new home for them.... The other option I'm thinking is to let them join the roaming flock and wander with them, they may hang around our yard, or follow them over to the neighbours, but I definitely don't want them teaching these new girls their bad habits.....

Suggestions???

Thanks in advance,

TurkeyJohn

 

[SusanMc]

I thought one of my hens were eating eggs until I caught 2 rats one on each end of an egg. Preste sure my hens clean up the remainder. Now I collect 3 times a day, no problems

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'll just say flat out that I while I don't sympathize with someone just letting their birds freely roam through other people's property, at the same time I don't think you should be dumping off your problem birds onto them by kicking your chickens out to join theirs.

They should make adequate stock at least. Of if you don't want to eat them at all, then they can still serve as fertilizer under some bushes. Either way, no reason to keep them if eggs are what you want, and they're not providing/eating any that they do lay.