Hens eating eggs! Running of out ideas!

[jckrasch]

Two of my four hens have been eating eggs for the past few months. Some days no eggs at all, some days we get all four. We try to get the eggs as soon as possible, but often difficult because we work all day. Mustard doesn't work, if fact they enjoy eating mustard. Golf ball doesn't work either. We put in curtains in front of the nesting box too. We even made the nesting box slanting down so when they lay the eggs roll to the end that's covered and they can't get to it. The new nesting box seemed to help, occasionally we get eggs with a little hole from it but still intact. The two crazy hens eat about 30-40% of the eggs now. The trouble comes when sometimes the chickens lay in the coop.

I'm so frustrated and have no idea what else to try to break this nasty habit. (Culling is not an option). Any ideas??

p.s. the chickens stay inside their coop and run most of the time, they do get 1-2 hours of outside free range time everyday. They have unlimited access to food, water, and grits.

Thank you!!!

 

[chooks4life]

If the calcium source in their feed is dicalcium phosphate, find a better feed with an alternative source of calcium, because dicalcium phosphate worsens existing gastrointestinal issues which the majority of all chickens have to some degree. It's a poor quality calcium source and weakens eggshells in hens with any existing issues. The eggshells tend to look and feel fine till you shine a torch through them, then you'll see weak spots galore, therefore easy access for the hens.

I would take some nailclippers, for human fingernails, and cut off the translucent tip of the upper beak. There's no nerves there, just like there aren't any in your fingernail edge, so it won't hurt them, but it removes the point they need to bust into the eggs. It will grow back in a few weeks, but it can be enough to break the habit which is what you need. It will not impede their feeding, drinking, preening etc at all. It would, however, help lessen any brutality they dish out on one another, it's also a good anti-cannibalism precaution if you have a featherpicker or severe pecker.

I would also get some plaster of paris or modeling clay (or even buy fakes online or in a house decorations shop, bargain basement or the likes), and if not buying fakes use the materials mentioned to mold some fake eggs, paint them with acrylic so they're washable and moldproof, and put them in the nest. Banging away on those will blunten their enthusiasm. Painting them in the same tones as their normal eggshell colors is best so they can't learn to avoid them.

Best wishes.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree with ChickenCanoe on your other thread with this topic. Build true rollaway nests so they cannot get to them. From what you describe they can still get to the eggs in the one you built.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1002630/hens-eating-eggs-running-out-of-ideas

There are other things that might possibly work but if they cannot get to them they can’t eat them.

 

[jckrasch]

Thanks, Chooks4life. We clipped the upper beak, that didn't work. I'm going to try some wood eggs or golf balls, scatter that all over the coop and see it that would work.

 

[pdirt]

Yes, it sounds like your best solution is to buy/build true roll-away egg nests. The wooden eggs or golf balls will work best if they have no real eggs. Meaning, if they peck at 6 "eggs" and one of them breaks, resulting in food, they've learned to keep going until they find one that works. Perhaps if you laid down literally dozens of fake eggs/golf balls, it might be enough to break them of the habit. But the surest way to put in the true roll-aways.

My last idea is if you know approximately by what time the eggs (or most) of them will be laid, you could hire a neighbor kid to come pick up the eggs for you. If you do this, I would still do the fake egg thing and perhaps they could be un-trained to eat eggs.

 

[jckrasch]

Does it matter where I put the fake eggs? My husband thinks if we put the fake eggs in the coop then the hens will lay in the coop instead of the nesting box. The rollaway nesting box is a good idea except when they don't lay in the nesting box, which has been the problem too.

 

[chooks4life]

Does it matter where I put the fake eggs? My husband thinks if we put the fake eggs in the coop then the hens will lay in the coop instead of the nesting box. The rollaway nesting box is a good idea except when they don't lay in the nesting box, which has been the problem too.

Interesting that clipping the beaks didn't work, you must have some real incorrigibles! No wonder some factories used to cut the whole upper beak off.

Honestly, it's all starting to sound like the textbook example of why egg-eaters are usually best dealt with by being eaten and replaced, sorry.

The fake eggs help --- unless they're laying in the wrong places, and it's not like you can really combine fake eggs with a rollaway nest unless you stake them down somehow. Glue them to the bottom of the nest box?

Bit of an out-there solution, maybe, but some people use spectacles to prevent cannibalism. They clip in through the nostrils, doesn't hurt them, just blocks their frontal view. You can remove them but also can leave them on long-term. Might work with egg-eaters too. But this sort of hen is likely to always be trouble, it's up to you if they're being more trouble than they're worth.

Best wishes.

 

[sjturner79]

What calcium sources do you have for them ?
do you have shellgrit and crushed oyster shells ?
chalk or limestone in the coop can also help.
These are the 4 most common forms of calcium carbonate which is the kind most easily digest by chooks.

 

[Sutremaine]

What's in the food you're feeding them?

If they have such a craving for eggs, let them eat eggs. Eggs are little nutrient bombs. Buy some good ones, whisk them into a homogenous liquid, crush the eggshells into the mix, and just barely cook them. I predict that they'll go bonkers over the scrambled eggs. Repeat until they stop going so bonkers.

 

[junebuggena]

Have you tried switching to a higher protein content feed? Egg eating is frequently caused by insufficient protein intake.