How to stop egg eating in chickens?

[vetgirl00us]

I have a pair of Malays (very large fowl) and the roo stands over the hen and waits for her to lay her egg and if we aren't right there, he will immediately peck a hole in the egg and eat it. Aside from removing him from the pen every morning or every other morning until she lays, how can I get him to stop eating the eggs?

 

[CMV]

Roll-away nesting boxes or a sharp hatchet should do the trick. Here's a link to Opa's nesting boxes. They are brilliant.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1463000

Good luck.

 

[vetgirl00us]

LOL, can't cull the roo, he's the only one I got and exhibition bird.

 

[Lisa202]

Try quickly replacing the freshly laid eggs with golf balls and then let him have at them.

 

[vetgirl00us]

I think I'll try the ceramic egg thing. I have to use a big egg because these are Malays- very tall birds 3feet and over 12 lbs so a golf ball- they will know it's not an egg. Until I get a few fake ones, I'll just have to seperate him from the hen in the mornings when she lays.

 

[Centralflafred]

You can get wooden eggs from McMurry's in several different sizes.

 

[Big Red's Mom]

I had that problem once and a family member told me to clip the end of the beak. The roll away nest boxes really work well too. Good luck....

 

[TinyBirds]

I'm having the same trouble but with hens eating their eggs. Today I raised the nest boxes up and am also trying to make the entrance smaller. Will update tomorrow if anything is working. It's happening is 2 of my 8 coops.

Eta....so far I did try roll away nest boxes but my hens are so picky they won't lay in those. I took the other boxes away and everything but then they just laid eggs on the coop floor and pecked and ate them as usual. It's almost asif they knew they couldn't eat them if they rolled in the nest box that had the slight pitch on the floor. Maybe chickens are smarter than they appear.

 

[vetgirl00us]

this hen doesn't use the nest box either but I'm sure even if she did he'd still get it and eat it. For now, we are just going to take him out in the mornings if she looks like she is ready to lay (she seems to be on an early morning schedule) and then put him back after lunch- at least until I get some fake eggs or figure something else out.