No Eggs!!!!! I am about to lose my mind!!!!!

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Ooooh, great ideas!

at the second one!

 

[mediazeal]

I think something is stealing eggs
Squirrels, skunk, SNAKE(s)
8 months is a long time to wait
do you have wooden eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes?

can you put a store bought egg with X's on it in the nest box and see if it is still there at the end of the day?

I did the other day when my egg production went down and found that my dog was helping himself to eggs.

I would stop giving everything except the layer pellets for a week as well.
put wooden eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes
wait some more
sorry

 

[bills]

Maybe they are "On Strike" did you get union chickens..

Darn wierd..I still gave my hens treats, although not enough that they ignored their layer pellets, and they still produced for me. The daylight hours are long, so there shouldn't be a light issue at this time of year. If your pen is predator secure, I can't see skunks, etc., getting all the eggs.

Maybe you should trade them for someone that has a few extra sex-link hens. They are great egg producers, although only for two years.

 

[sc-chick617]

Ok so I have been really studying my hens and found the problem. I put eggs out there and when they went to the nest boxes in the hours following, they ate the eggs. Should I now switch to golf balls instead of eggs? What do I do? Its not just one hen, they are all turning into hannibal lecters. Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sc-chick617]

I have not seen a single egg from any of this flock. Their birthdates are 12-28-2009 for the hens I am concerned about and 3-25-2010 for the little ones. I have never seen any eggs, so I dont know if they are laying them then eating them, or if they are not laying them at all yet. The ones they have eaten have been the ones I place in there.

Thanks,
Elizabeth

 

[SG_Chicken]

What is the temp like where you live. It could be that its to hot to lay right now.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Tough problem. Make curtains for their nest boxes so they don't see their eggs after they lay, and aren't as tempted, and the nest boxes are fairly dark. Put golf balls or fake wooden eggs in there to make pecking at them hurt. This advice DID work for a friend of mine so good luck!

 

[blefky]

I haven't experienced this problem myself, but I do recall reading someone's post who recommended blowing out a couple of eggs and filling them with mustard. Guess it's an old trick that some say works well. I also have fake wooden eggs (some use golf balls) that I leave in the nest boxes, I guess this serves the dual purpose of showing the young ones where the eggs belong and also discourages egg pecking.

 

[Hillsvale]

my first bunch were born Feb 9th, two columbian rock's, a silkie and two egyption fayoumi. 2.5 weeks ago I got two eggs from the columbians then one egg every day there after (including a regular sized egg with double yolk on day 3!) then yesterday I got my usual morning agg and when we put them to bed here was a second one in the box.

I have hay as nesting material and three golf balls!

I am now waiting on 5, 16 week old girls of various varieties...

Its frustrating I know but yours should be laying... stalk them for a bit!

 

[Alabama ee]

I would watch them. Have you heard the "egg song"? I bet something is happening to the eggs.

If they are eating the eggs, I am not sure what to advise.