How do you stop hens from pecking/breaking the eggs??

[Chickie Mamma]

I have 3 large hens. They have not laid in a while. My Cayuga duck started laying some eggs and they all share a nest. The hens keep breaking the eggs. They never broke their own eggs. How can I stop them? Dummy Eggs? Thanks..

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have heard to use golf balls, that once the hens peck the balls a few times, they will stop pecking them, but you may have to paint them black!

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Thanks... I figured if I used "dummy" eggs or something fake, that they would realize they are getting nothing out of them and soon will stop. Thanks again!!

 

[arabookworm]

i've heard feeding eggs or egg shells in a form that still looks like the original can cause egg eating, so if you do that you might want to make sure anything you give them isn't easily recognizable to them as an egg.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

The only thing I use is grit and oystershell. Maybe the oyster shell? I have been giving them the same thing for a year now and they never pecked an egg. I thought because its the duck egg they are breaking, maybe they don't want the duck sharing the nest? There are 4 nests and 3 chickens and 2 ducks. they have plenty of space. Thanks for the reply!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I would think it's just because the duck eggs look different. They probably just pecked them a time or two to see what they were, and have decided they were yummy treats! You could also make nest boxes with the trap in the back of the base, so the egg rolls in there and is unavailable for munching. The oyster shell should not make them want to eat eggs.