Help! My Chickens are Eating their Eggs

[Etoile2B]

Recently, I caught my Barred Rock hen eating my Easter Egger's eggs. She will only eat the Easter Egger's eggs, not her own and not the eggs from our Austerlorp. I have tried locking her out of the coop when I see the Easter Egger in the nest box, but then the Easter Egger will push her egg out of the nest box after she lays and it will break on the coop floor. And now she is starting to pick up the habit of eating her own eggs, occasionally. I have also tried putting golf balls in the nest boxes. As well as putting mustard and even Sirracha in a broken egg. I've also tried putting the mustard on top of the golf balls, and they seem to like it rather than be deterred. And now our Austerlorp is hiding her eggs in the yard. I'm not sure if this behavior is related.

We love our Barred Rock. She is more of a pet to us, so the thought of culling her from the flock is not ideal. I try to keep an eye on them throughout the day to catch the eggs as soon as they lay but it's impossible to watch them constantly. Does anyone have any ideas to help break them of this habit so we can keep our feathered friends? I'm going out of town in a week and will have house sitters in for a month so I need to break this trend fast!

Thanks!

 

[realsis]

yes fill an egg with mustard. they hate this and it will break them of egg eating! they say mustard is best to use. hope this helps! good luck to you!

 

[Etoile2B]

I tried mustard and they ate it up and are still eating the eggs. Is there one mustard that works better than others? I used Trader Joe's Deli Style, Spicy Brown Mustard.

 

[mypollitos]

hello
I need some help from the experts
When my frizzle started laying we decided to build a nice nest box but on the same day we got a new hen donated from my dad and she is a bully. now my frizzle scapes from the run and lays anywhare in the exct inthe nest box! How can I convince her and e new hen to share the nest box?

 

[cheaperbythe12]

I am having this problem too! Very frustrating! I have 8 buff orpingtons that all look exactly the same- can't figure out the culprit. I am going to try the mustard egg in earnest. I tried it yesterday, it was pecked but not eaten. When I took the broken mustard egg out, several girls came over and started to eat it :/