hens eating their own eggs

[HHandbasket]

You know, all science aside, sometimes ya gotta go with the tried and true. If it works, it works. I am just curious as to HOW it works. Maybe there is some combination of the cayenne and egg that just makes the chickens wanna gag, or maybe it's something else, I don't know.

I hope you don't think i was questioning you that it works! I'm all for whatever works. I'm just curious as to the how/why cuz that's my curious nature at work. I'm with you, though... sometimes the old timers know what's best and they don't need no steeenkin' science explanation.

 

[Talihofarms]

Quote:
I'm with you on the science thing and if I had an answer I would give it. I hope you didn't take my response as short or condisending.
What I can say about the cyanne mix is that about 10 years ago I was venting about my white pheasants eating eggs. We are an organic operation. I was told by some that the answer was to cull the egg eaters . That wasn't an option for me, first reason was some of my layers that were egg eaters at the time where my breeding stock. Also. I simply had too many birds to take the time to monitor them and isolate the guilty parties.

Then an old timer who I bought some of my pheasant stock. Told me what worked for him, and for me to give it a shot.
I tried it and the birds broke the first few eggs open and ate the mixture. By day 3 no more eggs were eaten.
I used this method on a few of my young chicken flocks and it worked also.

I also make shure the birds have enough forage and feed. I think that pasture/free rang helps quite a bit.
If there is a better solution I would be willing to give it a shot.
But that is just something which has worked for me.
This may not work in a confined operation, but since we give our birds plenty of space, egg eating is rarely a problem.


best of luck

 

[Twobrookschickens]

Aha! I was wondering what to do about this. I've been finding a lot of cracked eggs recently which has really ticked me off 'cause I don't sell them cracked; we eat them ourselves but still it's getting to the point where there are as many cracked as not. I have a small flock of 23 and enough customers for the eggs so really do want all the eggs salable. This morning I discovered the guilty one - get this - standing on the hen's back who was in the nest laying, yup standing on her back facing her tail end waiting for the egg to show up!

Sometimes she cracks them open and eats them, sometimes she just gets a good crack or hole in the end of 'em.

But I know who it is now, so I took her off the hen's back and scolded her. Big deal, didn't work. Caught her doing it again within minutes. So I put her in a box inside the hen house and there she will stay until the girls are done laying and I've collected the eggs. I will also try the fake eggs and mustard eggs to see if I can get her to stop. Otherwise she will end up living a very solitary and lonely life.

 

[BriarRose Farm]

Some ideas about what to do with egg eating hens:

We have not had any luck with "reforming" egg eaters, so I found some children's zoos and petting farms in our region who took those hens.
You can't give them to anybody who wants eggs, but they're good for the zoo, or as pets. Also a local state historic exhibit has a working 19th century farm. They take a few too.

Any other ideas? I always have one or two in my flock (times seven eggs/ week, times 52 weeks equals a lot of eggs).

 

[BriarRose Farm]

To poster #14, 3Good Eggs--

Unfortunately eggs and poo go together. The chicken has only one place for both, so if she poops and lays an egg, it's poopy or she lays it and it's in poo, that's how it goes. It's always great in the warm, dry weather to get clean eggs. Usually you have to scrub them. Don't leave them soaking in water cause they can possibly become contaminated. Scrubbing with a fingernail brush cleans without damage/breaking. Let the egg dry and refrigerate. If you have a lot of eggs, mark the boxes with the date, so you can use the older ones first.

Personally, I'd love an egg washer like the big places use, but they cost big money. The more affordable, less than $500 that I've located immerse the egg, which is illegal here in Illinois.

Does anyone have any suggestions for an egg washer that works, doesn't immerse and cost about 500?