Hens eating my duck eggs

[Chickmamma29]

Looking for some advice or experience...
Over this winter I have a hen, or multiple that are eating my duck eggs. I do have them in the same run and huge coop. I have one duck that will lay in a bottom nexting box, but the others lay down anywhere on the floor of the coop. I have found floor eggs eaten, but today I actually found a duck egg eaten in the nest box. They have never eaten a duck egg out of a box. A week ago I bought some ceramic white eggs to hopefully discourage the duck egg eating. They have not eaten any of their own eggs, as of yet. I am so upset and am looking for advice on how to stop this.
Thank you!!!

 

[N F C]

Do you have any way of separating the ducks from the chickens? Maybe separate quarters are called for.

 

[Chickmamma29]

Do you have any way of separating the ducks from the chickens? Maybe separate quarters are called for.

Well I am sure that is where it is headed. But as of now, no. Don’t have a separate house and run
Was hoping for suggestions first.
Thank for your help!

 

[Skipper81]

Fill up an egg with mustard and put it in the nesting box and they won’t eat your duck or chicken eggs anymore I’ve had to do this and it works

 

[Chickmamma29]

Fill up an egg with mustard and put it in the nesting box and they won’t eat your duck or chicken eggs anymore I’ve had to do this and it works

Ok! Thanks for the suggestion!!!

 

[Chickassan]

What do you feed your chickens? They're missing something nutritionally if they're specifically eating duck eggs protein, maybe even fat for calories could even be trace minerals.
Don't be so concerned about stopping it so much as figuring out why they're doing it.

 

[Chickmamma29]

What do you feed your chickens? They're missing something nutritionally if they're specifically eating duck eggs protein, maybe even fat for calories could even be trace minerals.
Don't be so concerned about stopping it so much as figuring out why they're doing it.

Thank you, I have thought about that as well. But they are well fed! They eat a non gmo, soy free layer feed from Sunrise farms. Excellent feed! They also get scratch late afternoon on very cold days, and a bit for breakfast, also on cold days. That is very high protein an I always add black oil sunflower seeds to it. They also get a variety of veggies and herbs. So, their diet is pretty well covered...

 

[Skipper81]

That’s why they are lacking nutrition because of the scratch and veggies and herbs
I did the same thing fed them veggies and scratch but they turned out to be malnurished due to too many treats
Anything beside chicken food is considered treats

 

[Chickassan]

Well, the only other reason they'd do it then is because they taste good.
You ever tried cooking them some duck eggs and giving them as treats?
That might actually work, sometimes if you just give eggs out they'll stop sneaking and eating them all.
I'm talking like maybe three a week, boiled and crumbled.

Thank you, I have thought about that as well. But they are well fed! They eat a non gmo, soy free layer feed from Sunrise farms. Excellent feed! They also get scratch late afternoon on very cold days, and a bit for breakfast, also on cold days. That is very high protein an I always add black oil sunflower seeds to it. They also get a variety of veggies and herbs. So, their diet is pretty well covered...

 

[Chickmamma29]

That’s why they are lacking nutrition because of the scratch and veggies and herbs
I did the same thing fed them veggies and scratch but they turned out to be malnurished due to too many treats
Anything beside chicken food is considered treats

Thanks for your thoughts! That may be it. I shall pull all the treats back and see if that changes it!!!