Ideas needed, egg eating broody......

[Lollipop]

This befuddles me like nothing else. I obtained 3 nice Thai pullets last summer with the hopes that I could use them to hatch guinea and goose eggs. Well they developed the cursed egg eating habit. I just finished building a roll out nest for them, using ideas from Opa, thank you very much. However, as these girls main purpose in life is to hatch eggs from other fowl. I`m at a loss as to how to set them and not have them eat the eggs. Hopefully the roll out nest will eliminate them eating their own eggs, but when they get broody, then what. Any sage advice here?........Pop

 

[Lollipop]

OK, somebody out there has to have an educated opinion on this. Here`s a bump for HELP..........Pop

 

[Knittycat]

Maybe going broody would cure them of the habit. I guess it depends on how long you want to wait and see if they actually go broody. I've seen people post about filling eggs with dawn detergent or using golf balls to discourage eating. You could always try that.

 

[Lollipop]

Thanks for the reply, Knitty. I`ve tried the golfball thing and it doesn`t work for me. Doubtfull about the blown egg with Dawn inside. When I threw the golfball in the nest, they attacked it like they were starving. I have hopes that they will forget the habit as they get used to the roll out nest, but I would like to hear from others that may have experienced this. Thanks again.........Pop

 

[WhetzelMomma]

How long did you try the golf balls? It took my girls a while... it seems to me that if they are THAT rabid about getting to the eggs, that maybe they are deficient in something...? Like when humans crave chalk. lol Are they getting good protein? What about Calcium?

ETA: You have to pull eggs through out the day and use the golf balls in order to get the hens thinking that "all" their eggs are impenetrable. After a while, they stop trying to peck any of them. At least that's how it worked with my girls.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Hmmm, the golfballs were in about 2 weeks. Protien is at 16%, but I didn`t think about calcium. Hafta check that. I did get an egg today in my rollout nest, but it was bloody and the shell was broken on one end like it may not have rolled out in time. If I get another like that I may hafta elevate the front of the nest box. Still need ideas for when they get broody, providing the calcium level is good. thanks for the responce........Pop

 

[WhetzelMomma]

You should have oyster shell out at all times free choice. It might not be that your hens are initially breaking the eggs... if the shells are thin, they are more fragile. I'd start by providing oyster shell, and then once you're not seeing broken eggs, maybe figure out a way for a golf ball to be put in the roll out nest so that it CAN'T roll out. Leave it in there for a long time. I actually don't take mine out. Then maybe you can put a non roll out nest in your hen house after a while... and start to phase that out, because you can't have a roll out and teach them not to break their shells...

 

[Lollipop]

Shells are nice and thick. These are game pullets and none of my game breeds have ever had thin shells. I really can`t imagine calcium being low in their diet. I believe it`s a bad habit picked up from the rooster, but how he got started is unknown. This really negates my reason for getting these pullets in the first place. I may end up getting some different pullets to handle the henobator duties. Thanks again for your thoughts, nobody else seems to have any ideas........Pop

 

[Fred's Hens]

Protein= check
Calcium= check

Honestly? You've got egg eating birds. I'd start over quickly. cull.

 

[dsqard]

Have you considered the pinless peepers? I know that they are used to stop feather picking but I wonder if they would help with the egg eating as well? If they can't see the eggs maybe they won't eat them? Just a thought. I know that this is a really hard habit to break once it starts and if you cant break them, you might have to consider culling and getting different broodies. Wish I could be more help.