HELP PLEASE!! Even with a Roll Out nest, they're stil eating the eggs

[Denny]

Hi all: We have 47 chickens and have had a problem with them eating the eggs. It's impossible to tell which ones are eating them. We went out and bought a real nice 10-nest roll-out nest (front roll), and these suckers are still eating the eggs. My wife is very upset and feels we just wasted $300.00 on the nest. I've read most of the posts here about golf balls, injecting the eggs, etc.....What else if anything can/should be done?

Also - do we have to wait until spring to buy our checks or is there someplace we can order them from now?

Thanks
Dennis & Debbie Bonanza
Vermont

 

[ams3651]

i havent had experience with this but I have read several times that most of the time they cant be broken of this. Maybe you will have to set up a camera or sit and watch to see who is responsible. Hopefully someone else will have a better answer.

 

[digitS']

I've had only limited experience with this problem and never having so many chickens, it wasn't difficult to find the culprit. I found that if you can once get them to stop eating eggs - they will likely continue the good behavior.

I've only seen pictures of the roll-out nests. Is it possible to conceal the eggs after they roll out?

Some people cover their nests with curtains. The nest is in the darkness but, as I understand it, the hen will still enter and lay her egg. Since she cannot see the egg, she simply leaves it there.

Here's wishing you the best of luck.

Steve

 

[sdshoars]

you can order layers from ideal right now, but you probably wont be able to get any rare breeds. if you are still having a problem with them eating eggs after getting aroll out nest, and if you have tried other remedies, i hate to say it, but you are probably going to have to cull the egg eaters. try to figure out if there are any that don't eat the eggs, and save them. buy some new chicks and start over. its a hard habit to break.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I've heard on here you can blow an egg out and then fill it with mustard. If it doesn't solve the problem maybe It can help you figure out who is eating them.

 

[lurky]

Quote:
The version i heard was tabasco sauce

 

[Chirpy]

Mustard doesn't always work, a really hot tobasco sauce is likely to have a better result.

I only had one hen that started to eat my eggs. I was fortunate that I only had to fill one egg with tobasco sauce and put it back in the nest. The next day I found it broken open and that was that.... I never had another egg eaten. I think I was really lucky but it did work for me.

If that type of thing doesn't work for you then I would have to agree that you may have to cull and start over. Sorry and I hope you don't have to go that route.

 

[Riparian]

Try and collect the eggs as frequently as you can.

 

[Denny]

we both work all day and can't collect until the late afternoon. might try the tabasco thing? it will break my wife's heart if we have to start over.