How to stop Chicken(s) eating eggs

[LindaMarieLaur]

Yesterday I went to collect eggs and noticed there were only a few and the spot was wet with egg white. I cleaned it out. Today I ended up with 2 eggs, and again the box is wet. I was thinking of putting them back in with some vicks vaporub on them. Anyone out there figure how to stop chickens from eating eggs?

 

[pennyJo1960]

There is no magic answer to that fake eggs sometimes works I have one at the moment but here I think klutz is in order as eggs are not eaten.. do you offer oyster shell free choice?

 

[JaeG]

If an egg has a weak shell and gets broken by accident the hens will instinctively clean up the mess so as to keep the nest site clean and so all that nutrition doesn't go to waste. This is normal. If you have one that's deliberately breaking into hard shelled eggs then that's a problem and the easiest way to prevent it happening is installing roll away nest boxes. There's bound to be some DIY ideas for them on here somewhere.

 

[Kylo_Hen!]

Yesterday I went to collect eggs and noticed there were only a few and the spot was wet with egg white. I cleaned it out. Today I ended up with 2 eggs, and again the box is wet. I was thinking of putting them back in with some vicks vaporub on them. Anyone out there figure how to stop chickens from eating eggs?

try blowing out eggs then fill them with a strong mustard of hot hot sauce when the hen breaks into the egg she will decide she dose not like them

 

[pennyJo1960]

try blowing out eggs then fill them with a strong mustard of hot hot sauce when the hen breaks into the egg she will decide she dose not like them

What a darn good idea love it when us old birds learn something new

 

[MickWithChicks]

try blowing out eggs then fill them with a strong mustard of hot hot sauce when the hen breaks into the egg she will decide she dose not like them

Hens are then less likely to clean up after they've cracked the egg. If you use hot hot sauce, the next sitting hen could potentially harm herself sitting on the cracked egg.

Ever eat hot sauce and feel the burn when passing it the next day? Imagine fresh hot sauce applied directly to the cloaca. I'd avoid the hot sauce and go for something less...painful.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I think the idea of regular yellow mustard would not be as detrimental

 

[MickWithChicks]

I think the idea of regular yellow mustard would not be as detrimental

Agreed. Mustard doesn't burn in the same way a pepper/chilli based hot sauce does, but is more of a sinus based burn. It doesn't linger either.

I've read anecdotes where mustard didn't stop an egg eating chicken, but I don't know if this was the exception or the rule. Worth giving it a shot anyway.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Think if I was faced with egg eater it would be the way I would try enough to see if my old brain can remember it

 

[Geena]

Capsaicin, the hot stuff in peppers doesn't bother birds. I had an egg eater, tried the mustard in the blown out egg thing, and she liked it, ate it all up! LOL I built a simple roll away box and that took care of the problem. Then after about a month she lost interest in eating eggs.