My great pyr pups are eating my eggs!

thndrdancr

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Well it took a while but my 3 1/2 month old pups are finally doing better at not chasing the chickens. BUT....

I noticed something yellow on one of the boys legs the day before yesterday, couldnt figure out WHAT he got into. Then some more today....on both of them..

And then when I went to collect eggs, I found ONE! I just started selling eggs two weeks ago! And my guinea's were laying 3 a day, I FINALLY got them to lay in their pen, dadblastit!

I know it was them cuz of the yellow and I had some "feeder" eggs to get them to lay, and they are gone as well.

Ok, now, what the best method to get a dog to stop egg eating! AGH!!!! How frustrating.
 
The easiest thing I would think, is to make the chicken door too small to accomidate the large dogs.

Pyrs are pretty big and chickens aren't.
 
Yes I thought of that too, but I free range, and just leave the coop human door open so they can go in and out to lay.

Also we have lots of ticks and I need my guineas to free range. Now the silly things will probably try to lay somewhere else, as their
"nest" has been disturbed.

Any other ideas?

These are my culprits! Ornery pups! They are into EVERYTHING.

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I free range and leave the human door open all day too,
but if I had an human or big dog egg-thief then I'd create a chicken-only-sized door in a heartbeat!!!
 
I think cutting a chicken door would be a good idea. Or you could move the nesting boxes up where the pups can't reach them. Or rework the nesting box so the eggs roll back into something the pups can't get into?
Of course, you could pack those boys up and send them to my farm. They are cute!
 
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If I were you I would take a period of time, such as a couple weeks and not allow the puppies near the chickens. Kennel them. This is a new behavior that might not have turned into a habit for them yet. One of the problems is you have both the puppies together, one pup learns something and teaches the other. It can be good and bad things. In this case obviously bad. IF you allow them to keep practicing this egg stealing it will be come a constant problem that you will not cure. Then the dogs will be useless to you. Start tomorrow: kennel them for a couple weeks to get them out of the habit. Then when you start letting them free again only do it ONE PUPPY at a time. Find out which one is the instigator of the problem. That way you might save one of them from egg stealing becoming a constant problem.

I wish you luck and hope you take swift action. If you don't you'll never cure the dogs of it.
 
Thank u, I know one teaches the other bad stuff.

I have been taking steps to have alone time with each, training separate, bonding, etc. But they are still together alot. Yesterday I didnt let the birds out til after 4 and I should have collected eggs then.

Tala, the door thing is just not workable for me, I have four dif pens/coop areas and the guineas have a pen only, so their nest is on the ground. The others I would have to really build a high nest so that wouldnt work. My boy pup could stand and reach. The smaller pop doors would be good, its just feasible in my situation.
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Thanks for giving your ideas tho.

I am very sleepy here, Bandit, the boy has diarhea so will probably will up with him all night. I read too many eggs can do that.

Yea, Jamie, its a new behavior, but its probably happened the last three to 4 days, with them taking one or two eggs..today they got them all. I know 5 of the eggs were bad, since I had them x'ed out and have been sitting for over 3 weeks in there. So I hope to nip it quick.

Skyes, yes they are beautiful. I worked with them a LOT to get them to not chase the chickens, they are getting fair to good with that. I can trust them out with the chickens free ranging, just got to that point and then this. Ugh! They still get overboisterous when I am down by the pens or letting out/putting up the birds. They are coming along nicely tho, wouldnt trust them with chicks AT ALL tho. But they do lay down by my baby pen if I have babies out and the instinct is definitely there to guard. They do have some worrisome habits tho, like bringing home dead things, especially birds and chewing them. peeuuu!

This egg eating is a chink in my plan, tho.

This is Ollie, my test chicken for exposure when they were babies. Poor Ollie, he didnt know what to think.

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I read about one on CL that was an 11 month old and they were having probs with her chasing their birds. I felt sad for that, as they were going to put her down if they didnt find a home in like two days time. I think its a matter of training and taking the time and I am sure that girl could have been trained out of the behavior if they had just taken the time with her. I KNOW its time intensive but isnt that what one commits to when they take on a dog? I dont know, I come from the old school, taking on a pup is like getting a new family member,a good 10 to 20 year commitment, and this is the throwaway if doesnt do what you want society. sigh...

I swear these ornery pups will be the death of me!
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omg...I want your white and black pyr lol. My girl Tallulah looks very similar to him and she is such a rockstar!

I dont know how to help you about the eggs other than to do basic training with them and maybe think of a good negative consiquense to make them shy away from the eggs.Pyr's are smart cookies and learn quickly.
 
I KNOW its time intensive but isnt that what one commits to when they take on a dog?

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Good for you! I agree!​
 

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