HELP!! Egg eaters!

[ehowland0199]

Hello. I'm new here. I've got quite the problem that arrived in just 2 days!! One of my silkies started eating eggs 2 days ago. Well, now all of them are doing it!! They are pestering each other while they are laying to wait for the egg! As soon as it drops, they devour it. They get plenty of all the nutrition they need, I make sure of it. They are very spoiled rotten!! Just not sure what to do. I do collect eggs at least twice a day so they don't spend an amount of time in there but I'm not even getting an opportunity unless I wait for it too!

 

[chicmom]

Oh gosh! That is a sticky wicket! Here are some things you can try. First, try and make the nest box area darker, by hanging a curtain in front of them. That way, it's very shady in there and they might leave the egg alone.

Another thing is put some fake eggs in the nesting boxes, so the hens will peck it, but nothing happens. They may soon give up.

Another thing you could do is blow out an egg, fill it with some spicy mustard, and when the hens crack it, it tastes just awful. Honestly I've never tried that one.

It's truly a difficult habit to break.....I believe there is some advice on this site about egg eaters.....Let me find that for you....

 

[chicmom]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/egg-eating-what-are-the-causes-and-how-to-prevent-it

Here's a link for you regarding the egg eating.

I hope it helps!

 

[ehowland0199]

Thank you so much!! We live in Illinois and they free range a couple acres since they were little. I do supplement with organic feed as well. Old man winter has set in early this year so we have snow and they are not liking it! They like the pebbles from the driveway more than the oyster shells but I'll try and fill up some buckets of rocks for when it really snows and keep both out. Looks like I'm going to be blowing out eggs today thank you so much! I love my babies so much! My husband passed away in March and they have gotten me through an incredibly difficult time. I'm not going to cull them for eating their own eggs! In all reality, they aren't mine to begin with, but our girls and I sure do enjoy them!

 

[chicmom]

Oh, I'm so sorry you lost your husband! I love silkies. What color do you have? My chickens are terrified of snow so far! LOL Evil white stuff! I sure hope you can break them of the egg eating....

Take care, and let me know how it goes,

Sharon

 

[BriskRooster]

the same has started happening with one of my chickens, but she leaves every egg alone except her own! she is a older small skinny chook (we feed them heaps) we thought she might have worms causing her to have deficiency's (her egg shells are really thin) so we have given her "worm-enda" and we'll try putting fake eggs in there too...

 

[ehowland0199]

Briskrooster, do you feed your chickens egg shells? I've been doing that and they love them!!! I crush them up and you would think they are getting Apple pie! They also have slowed down on the egg eating. I don't know if it was the shock of winter coming or what happened! It's hard to tell since there egg laying is slowing down but I found 4 eggs today!

 

[ehowland0199]

 

[ehowland0199]

Those are my 2 silkies! Snowball and Snowflake. they are going to make wonderful mothers one day!!

 

[BriskRooster]

Briskrooster, do you feed your chickens egg shells? I've been doing that and they love them!!! I crush them up and you would think they are getting Apple pie! They also have slowed down on the egg eating. I don't know if it was the shock of winter coming or what happened! It's hard to tell since there egg laying is slowing down but I found 4 eggs today!

We used to cook them but don't feed them egg shells anymore, we were worried that it might make them eat their eggs....