Hen destroying and eating eggs

[aart]

Oh, I meant in regards to that egg-eating hen. The article said that the curtains keep the nests dark and since the hens can't see the eggs, they don't peck at them. Seems like something worth trying.

Maybe.
Crowding stress could also be part of the egg eating problem....
....even tho battery birds are used to being crowded.

 

[CluckerFamily]

A roll away nesting box may be your best option.

 

[Aapomp831]

It is not ok for your chicken to do this... if she needs extra protein, it can be provided in many other ways. The biggest problem is that she will teach the others to do it. We had a serious problem with an egg eater, and we tried separating her and all that (filling an egg with mustard doesn’t work either - chickens like mustard). Things got super frustrating, and we had 26 pullets about to reach POL and we simply couldn’t have her teaching them this habit.... so she was axed. I felt bad about it, but once egg eating starts it’s almost impossible to stop. I would separate her, feed her some extra protein for awhile then see if she stops upon release. If she goes directly to the nesting box and eats another egg (which is exactly what ours did, right in front of us), I would cull. Immediately.

 

[David61]

Now i have seen roll away egg collectors on line but never looked to see how to make one work for me. but if i didnt want to cull her i would get some astroturf and some plywood and make me a roll a way nest box to fit what you have now. Like the ball return on a pool table. Hot egg in the corner pocket under the false bottom of the nest box.

 

[CluckerFamily]

does anybody use google anymore?
Laying box designs image by ladyamare on Photobucket | Chicken nesting boxes, Chicken laying boxes, Chickens backyard (pinterest.com)

roll out nest box slope - Google Search

Googling definitely is a great resource... I just personally trust the people on BYC more... but that is just me

 

[VlkStinu]

A roll away nesting box may be your best option.

I was thinking about modifications to the nest boxes, but the problem is I have very little space for any modifications because the nests are outside of the coop, as you can see on this picture. I don't really know how I could change this layout without risking safety of the hens (so a weasel or marten couldn't get in).

 

[CluckerFamily]

I was thinking about modifications to the nest boxes, but the problem is I have very little space for any modifications because the nests are outside of the coop, as you can see on this picture. I don't really know how I could change this layout without risking safety of the hens (so a weasel or marten couldn't get in).

View attachment 2479284

You would need to remodel the nesting box area that sticks out.
Normally, the gathering of eggs more often works for me and I don’t have a roll away nesting box.
Hopefully someone who has one knows the dimensions to help you determine how to add the device.

 

[VlkStinu]

It is not ok for your chicken to do this... if she needs extra protein, it can be provided in many other ways. The biggest problem is that she will teach the others to do it. We had a serious problem with an egg eater, and we tried separating her and all that (filling an egg with mustard doesn’t work either - chickens like mustard). Things got super frustrating, and we had 26 pullets about to reach POL and we simply couldn’t have her teaching them this habit.... so she was axed. I felt bad about it, but once egg eating starts it’s almost impossible to stop. I would separate her, feed her some extra protein for awhile then see if she stops upon release. If she goes directly to the nesting box and eats another egg (which is exactly what ours did, right in front of us), I would cull. Immediately.

They are provided with extra protein... So I wouldn't see that as a problem. I understand it's quite a difficult problem to solve, but I definitely wouldn't want to solve it in such a definitive way. I am really fond of that hen as I am fond of all others in the flock and I really couldn't do this. I really like the idea of a roll-away nesting box, but so far I don't know how I could make that work for my coop.

 

[VlkStinu]

Now i have seen roll away egg collectors on line but never looked to see how to make one work for me. but if i didnt want to cull her i would get some astroturf and some plywood and make me a roll a way nest box to fit what you have now. Like the ball return on a pool table. Hot egg in the corner pocket under the false bottom of the nest box.

This sounds like the best option really, but I still can't wrap my head around the concept. I understand how it should work and I can imagine it working without straw bedding (making the floor of the nest boxes slightly angled, so the egg would roll down to the side where there would be an opening and the egg would roll down to some sort of a compartment I would be able to open from outside but would be otherwise inaccessible. But how would it work with the straw bedding? They usually re-arrange the straw into a bowl and lay the egg in the middle. Also, they sleep in the nest boxes (they don't use the roosts) on the straw, which makes it a bit more difficult as well.

 

[VlkStinu]

Manufactured coops are always smaller than they say space side. If it says 8, it probably means like 3 or 4.

Are they getting enough calcium too? I have birds that are really delicate when it comes to calcium and protein and as soon as they aren't getting enough for whatever reason, they go for the eggs. I give them the extra they're needing and they stop. I've only ever had one bird I axed from egg eating, but that was more the straw on the camel's back than her only problem honestly

They should have a complex diet - I mix all the vitamins minerals and nutrients into their feed and I am always putting extra protein and extra calcium too. But I can't rule out completely whether this particular hen doesn't have a deficiency of protein or calcium. She is still moulting at the moment, but so does other 2 hens and they haven't developed this habit.