I can't keep any eggs

[into_my_web]

We have two chickens that are old enough to lay but the other chickens keep breaking the eggs and eating the insides, I would like to incubate the eggs because my hens are not broody, but the chickens keep eating them, I was only able to save one so far.
I am sure this is my fault, I thought it would be fine to feed the chickens the eggs that weren't fertile, they weren't fertile because our roosters weren't quite old enough when we got our older layer, any way we thought the eggs were a healthy snack. Now I'm stumped.
Anyone know anything about this?

 

[lavacaw]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is chicken soup weather. I don't think you can ever break egg-eaters. Once they get a taste for them, its all over. But they do make good chicken and dumplings.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I have no personal experience with this, but i have heard of people using wooden eggs or something else hard to break them of eating the eggs. I'm not exactly sure about these logistics, but the point is to convince them that there's nothing inside to peck at by fooling them with the wooden eggs.

I'm hoping with you that lavacaw might be mistaken.

It's worth a try anyway.

 

[pringle]

I would never kill 2 chickens ive raised there probably pets to you now,you cant kill them.Try to get store bought eggs or somthing blow them out so there hollow then fill it up with spicy mustard or somthin gross put it ina box and see what happens.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Once chickens start breaking and eating eggs, it's virtually impossible to get them to stop. Most people have to send the offenders to freezer camp.

Sorry.

 

[Sequin]

Can you just separate them? The eaters and non-eaters? I Think I might have a couple that are egg eaters, but not completely sure. I plan on separating them out of the flock. Good luck!!!

 

[faykokoWV]

just for future reference, if you want to feed eggs to chickens, boild them or scramble them, then give it back to the chickens in a non egg shape form. guess you figured that out the hard way. I agree with trying wooden eggs.

 

[chookchick]

Don't give up on them yet! Are these young pullets? Not laying yet? I would separate them out and try giving them more protein--either a higher protein feed such as game bird feed or grower (which they should be on anyway if they are young), and add high protein treats such as meal worms, sunflower seeds, small amounts of cat food or shredded cheese, or low salt fish. Make sure all your hens have access to oyster shell at all times and collect eggs as often as you can. I tried the mustard egg, didn't do much for me, but keeping them busy and healthy, as well as them maturing, did the trick.

 

[Metanoia]

You fed chickens their own eggs...? Well now you know what not to do. You taught them that their eggs are food and now are upset that they're doing exactly what you taught them.

Collect the eggs often,
Provide plenty of other food
And try a booby-trapped egg as someone else suggested.

But chickens are great creatures of habit, and it is hard to break something like this if you can't provide fairly constant supervision for a few weeks to remove the temptations and train a new habit.

 

[rufus]

Try the roll away nest. Google it on this site. The nest box has a false back raised up and the nest is inclined slightly so that the egg rolls away from the nest back to where the hen cannot access it.

I made mine out of a old cabinet that someone threw out in the alley. It took me all of an hour to make it.

Make sure the nest box is in the dark, and make it kind of difficult for the hen to turn around in it.

My chickens don't eat eggs, but trust is the first step to betrayal.

Good Luck,


Rufus