Getting creative to deter egg eating! Suggestions ?

[klyra]

Haven't had any eggs eaten at all since making these changes, except for two eggs that were lain without shells. Those got gobbled up. Going to add oyster shells to their diets. But they are still new layers so I'm not worried too much.
Happy the egg eater has changed her tune though!!

 

[Folly's place]

You can feed Flock Raiser, 20% protein, with oyster shell on the side. If you feed layer, 16% protein, still have oyster shell available. They will eat less shell when eating layer. Daily egg layers need very balanced diet; they are on the edge metabolically all the time, and tend to live shorter lives, which is sad. Mary

 

[klyra]

You can feed Flock Raiser,  20% protein, with oyster shell on the side.  If you feed layer, 16% protein, still have oyster shell available.  They will eat less shell when eating layer.  Daily egg layers need very balanced diet;  they are on the edge metabolically all the time, and tend to live shorter lives, which is sad.  Mary

Wow, thanks for the information Mary. These are things I did not know. I do use later pellets, 16%. I'll pick up oyster shells today.
I did not know they live shorter lives! That's terrible. I wish I had known that in advance.
We give them a lot of kitchen scraps, which they love. Do you think this is a bad idea, since it may reduce how much they eat of the protien rich layer food, or will they self manage that?
Thanks for the information.
I appreciate it.
Kelly

 

[Folly's place]

You can unbalance their diet feeding scraps, and remember that 16% protein is the minimum that they need, and the right amino acid balance. Best to feed some goodies, but mostly their feed. My birds are out eating bugs and stuff too, and they do fine. Mary

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I unbalance my chickens diet all the time, I even feed mine raw eggs shell and all, I don't have a problem with egg eating, I really think it's the breed, that kind of mix seems to crave protein in an unnatural way,and seem stressed, angry, not right to me, the only time I had trouble with egg eating or feather picking were both sex links, I don't like them, they seem abnormal to me. They certainly are a breed that doesn't do well with confinement. Just my experience.

 

[Folly's place]

I also don't love sex-links; too pushy, feather picking, not so nice birds. We try different breeds and find out over time who works in our flock. High egg producing birds do need very good nutritional management, but they can still be hard to live with. I've now got a mixed group of BC Marans, EE's, Chanteclers. SSussex, and Belgian d'Uccles. Also Wyandottes and two Welsummers. Nice mix of egg colors, and generally they are compatible. In the deep South, maybe a different group would work better. Mary

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I like fat looking chickens, buff orps, australorps, bantam cochins, I like waddling chickens, they aren't really fat they just look it, I am up north. You have a nice variety Folly, must get a lot of pretty eggs.

 

[klyra]

I haven't had any breeds other than this one. I'm fairly new to raising chickens (1 year) so haven't had any other experience, but I really find my flock to be delightful.
The eggeating stopped completely after I started leaving food in their coop for the early morning.
They've never been aggressive. I get at 4 or 5 nice eggs a day from my flock of five.
They love the kids and the kids love them. They come when called and happily follow us around the yard.
I think they are delightful. My only regret is that they may have a shortened lifespan or health issues. (Which I did not know about until mentioned here)... They're nice chickens. They even let us hold them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm glad you all are enjoying them, I just had a bad experience, but you seem to be doing okay, we all have our favorite breeds, glad you figured out the egg eating, chicken keeping would be boring if we didn't all do things different or have our own preferences.

 

[ccrow]

Sounds like they were just hungry!

It's interesting, reading opinions of sex links' personality- I also started out with red sex links(Hubbard's golden comets) and found them to be calm, friendly birds. I have since gotten more straight breeds, but I currently have one red and two black sex links and I've never seen any nastiness from them. The only one I would call nasty is my BO hen, a breed with a reputation as sweet, gentle birds! She is definitely the #1 hen, only deferring to Chucky, the roo. But then, she's always been a feisty one