Help.. I think I have an Egg Eater.....

[TheEggCollecter]

Over the past view days I have noticed egg production severely dropping. Today, I got 1 egg from 16 consistent layers! I do not want to have to cull my whole flock and I need to solve the problem before others hens catch on and eat the eggs too. I have searched the internet and I can't find anything on this. Please Help!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Some try filling an egg with mustard (using a syringe/needle) and leaving it for them to eat.

Fake eggs in nest boxes or golf balls so when they peck there is nothing to eat.

Collect eggs as many times a day as you can.

Darken nestboxes with curtains (I use covered kitty litter pans) to reduce their ability to see in there.

No community nest boxes.

 

[TheEggCollecter]

Some try filling an egg with mustard (using a syringe/needle) and leaving it for them to eat.

Fake eggs in nest boxes or golf balls so when they peck there is nothing to eat.

Collect eggs as many times a day as you can.

Darken nestboxes with curtains (I use covered kitty litter pans) to reduce their ability to see in there.

No community nest boxes.

Thanks so much! I appreciate you responding, I will try the mustard thing, my coop is very bright so I will try to darken it, the only thing I can't do is collect eggs. I work 7-7 on weekdays so it is hard for me to collect eggs often. Uggghhh I hope I can break this.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote: You are welcome! I hope you can solve the problem.

Also make sure they aren't craving protein. You can temporarily switch the feed to unmedicated chick starter or Flock Raiser with oyster shells on the side for calcium (very important), which will give them 20% protein. If you are feeding lots of scratch you may want to stop that also temporarily.

 

[donrae]

Chickens that eat eggs, and especially that many eggs, will be leaving shells. If you're not finding shells, or a mess where an egg was cracked and eaten in the nest box, something else is going on. It's easy to tell when an egg has been cracked in a nest box, it makes a horrible mess in the bedding and stinks the next day. You don't mention any of these things, so I'm thinking it's something else....how old are your birds? what breeds? any chance of a predator or human getting in and taking your eggs? Do your birds free range and maybe have hidden nests? Any recent changes...new birds, illness, a predator attack, even changing feed?

 

[TheEggCollecter]

Chickens that eat eggs, and especially that many eggs, will be leaving shells. If you're not finding shells, or a mess where an egg was cracked and eaten in the nest box, something else is going on. It's easy to tell when an egg has been cracked in a nest box, it makes a horrible mess in the bedding and stinks the next day. You don't mention any of these things, so I'm thinking it's something else....how old are your birds? what breeds? any chance of a predator or human getting in and taking your eggs? Do your birds free range and maybe have hidden nests? Any recent changes...new birds, illness, a predator attack, even changing feed?

Half of my flock are one year old and rye other half & seven months. They are in a 20 by 20 pen and occasionally free range on the weekends or any time where I can sit down and watch them. I just built a new and improved coop and switched it with the other one. Could this be the drastic change that is affecting their laying?

 

[subhanalah]

Half of my flock are one year old and rye other half & seven months. They are in a 20 by 20 pen and occasionally free range on the weekends or any time where I can sit down and watch them. I just built a new and improved coop and switched it with the other one. Could this be the drastic change that is affecting their laying?

oh my, yes indeedy.


Just give them some time. And keep an eye out

 

[TheEggCollecter]

oh my, yes indeedy.


Just give them some time. And keep an eye out

Ok, thanks everybody. I will keep an eye out for eggs.

 

[donrae]

That could sure do it

I simply put one little bantam cochin hen in with my layer flock yesterday and only got 2 eggs from 14 hens. Had been getting a dozen plus eggs every day. Just a little change like that can throw them off, so moving house altogether can sure do it. They're young enough they should pick back up shortly.

 

[TheEggCollecter]

Bad News..... it has nothing to do with the new coop. I went into the coop today and saw one of my Rhode Island Reds eating an egg, she had cracked four and eaten them. Surprisingly, the other hens were not eating them they were just staring at her. I blew an egg and filled it with spicy horse radish mustard, and THEY LIKED IT. What do I do? I don't want the other hens o learn to eat them but I don't know if I can bring myself to killing her. Also, I closed all windows to the coop today and it was very dark in there it didn't seem to work. UUUGGGHHHHH!