I've got egg eaters-HELP!!!

[leasmom]

They didn't eat eggs before but apparently one started eating her own eggs because I haven't gotten any from her in the past few days. I saw some egg residue on some eggs and then caught them running around eating an egg. I need to stop this behavior asap. Please help me!!!

 

[spook]

Wow, only real way to end it is to cull and that is not my desires! Possibly could you pick up some wooden eggs, paint them the colors of your birds eggs, placing a number of them, 4-6, then when they lay, possibly getting no response from the wood eggs, they will go from them.
Also changing the nest material, covering the one nest box that the egg eater goes in. Also, if you can find "glasses" for the girls that are doing this, then it often breaks them of feather picking...perhaps egg eating.
Good luck and hope you get a better answer then myself.
ps- I wonder if you hang lettuce of something just out of easy eating reach, that they would be more eager to work at that then eat the egg they just laid, also increase protein and it may help.

 

[kinnip]

I thought I had an egg eating outbreak. It turns out it was one hen who was breaking the eggs then the others were cleaning up. That hen is in the house now and I'm getting all of my eggs. She's also driving me nuts, so we may have to work out something else.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Gather the eggs as fast as you can so they aren't temptingly left in the nest boxes and load the nest boxes up with golf balls. I had this happen twice in my 1 1/2 years with these chickens and the golf balls cured it for me...I had about 6 in each nest box and I guess pecking on them is not very gratifying

Good luck because you will have to cull if you can't break it.

 

[leasmom]

OMG, the whole flock is eating eggs. I took a store bought egg and tried filling it with mustard...that didn't faze any of them. So I tried again with cayenne pepper, again, it didn't faze any of them. I have 8 total and they're all eating eggs. 5 of them having started laying yet. Am I gonna have to cull all of them and start over?

They have cabbage and I give them treats throughout the day...omg!

 

[Wildsky]

You might consider installing those nest boxes where the egg rolls away. (out of the coop or into some catchment box)

 

[JennsPeeps]

Search for "roll-away nesting box" on google and you'll find lots of plans for them.

One recent person w/ egg-eaters put a cloth curtain over the nesting boxes, which helped prevent the birds from seeing the eggs.

 

[leasmom]

I've been looking up the roll away nesting boxes. I'm trying to find ones that aren't offered overseas...anyone know of a company? I will try the curtain thing too. Thanks.

 

[digitS']

Meat protein, oyster shell, and quick pickup of eggs as suggested . . . dark nests are recommended by many . . .

I've had an egg eater and she stopped after a couple eggs but I was on her like a birddog on a quail until she did.

Here's wishing you the very best of luck.

Steve

 

[smith2]

I have had several egg eaters and had to cull them. I tried everything except roll away nests. That is probably your best solution.