How do I catch my egg eater?

[gmc]

My hens are just now starting to lay, yahoo! I have one hen that likes to eat the spoils tho', but I can't catch her. I was close the other day but she jumped out of the nest in with the others and I'm not sure which one it was. I am afraid this is going to be catching....chicken see, chicken do. I work during the day and the eggs are gathered during the afternoon. Is there a witty way to catch or determine which hen it is? Has anyone had smillar (nightmares) experiences?

Thanks in advance
gmc

 

[CarriBrown]

I think you'll have to catch her red handed or see if you can spot one with yoke on her beak.
A good way to stop that is blow an egg out so it's hollow and put something really disgusting in it, like tobasco. The egg eater will think she's found a tasty meal and break it open, only to get a beak full of something nasty! I put golf balls in the nests and that stopped my egg eater. She probably got a head ache after trying to peck open one of those!

 

[gmc]

Hahahaha, golf balls? I am sure she will appreciate the headache more than the stiff neck that I had planned for her. Thank you for the reply.
gmc

 

[treeclimber233]

Try laying an egg in the middle of the pen (making sure everyone sees it). Your egg-eater should run over and start pecking it with determination to break it. Other hens may take an experimental peck or two but they are only "tasting" it. The egg-eater will break the shell with one or two good hits. Be ready to squirt her with something that will stay on her for a bit: oil (cooking oil that is) or kool-aid if she is white. Then when she mingles with the other hens you will still be able to tell which one she is.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Well, I'd say trap nesting, but you probably don't have enough nests to let one stay in there till you find out. Maybe on a weekend or something. Then let her out as you check to make sure her egg isn't broken.

 

[johnnyjack]

Quote:
this is what i did. and then i got rid of her and put in the golfballs in the nest and in the run.