Oh, NO! Raw egg eating chicken!

[ladytoysdream]

We have a pullet that I suspect is a egg eater.
My plan is to cage her if I see any more bad activity from her.
And then keep a tighter eye on all of them.

We have 15 adult hens and been getting like 12 to 14 eggs a day for quite awhile. The last month anywhere from a low of 6 to about 11 a day. I thought the heat was bothering them. They have plenty to eat and all kinds of treats, and a Purina flock block in front of them. Seems so they should be golden for food. And plenty of water.

I just went out to check for eggs as 2 of the hens were doing their * I laid a egg* cackle. Then I am watching the young pullet and she is checking out the nest boxes. I found a broke one under the one older hen and got it out the door. Not quick enough I guess, because the pullet was right in the same box, eating up the remainder I had not got out yet. Then after I got that one cleaned, she was in another box checking things out. I thought she was getting close to laying for the first time herself so I was not bothering her.
She is one of 16 pullets, about 4 months old, that we decided to keep after raising them from our birds this spring. I am not sure what to do with her if she is a egg eater. I don't see a lot of value in her if she is. She can go to freezer camp the next round with a couple of the young roosters from her group. Unless someone has a good idea of how to break her of this activity. And she will peck at you if you try to pet her or work with her. Not a good disposition in my book.

So when I went out again today to check for eggs, I found her seriously checking out the nest boxes. This time I picked her up and she is now in a cage by herself. Plan is to put her back with the main flock in the evening after the laying is done. Then when I catch her in the morning being bad, put her back in the wire cage. If she continues this bad behavior, we may have to put her down. Not the solution I would be happy with. So far, none of this behavior from any of the other hens. We have had chickens for about 15 months now. Our group is mainly buff orpingtons with a couple of red hens.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

There is a thread on here about BOSS stopping egg eating. The theory is that they contain Omega 3 (?) and thus if the chickens have enough of that they won't try to get it from the eggs.

 

[mtcookie]

Just found this in a search.

The other day I bought a Jersey Giant hen. I was so devastated when eggs started to show up cracked and eaten. I know its her but she is so beautiful I did not want to freezer camp her. I will be trying the BOSS tomorrow.
Crossing my fingers.

 

[alaskafarmgirl]

Hi, I posted earlier -- egg eaters, in my experience, cannot be fixed. I get put them outside the coop and let nature take care of the problem. As harsh as it sounds, one egg eater can turn the whole flock that way. I've had it happen, no matter what I tried. My hens have free access to greens, grit, oyster shell, 16% crumbles, and daily feedings of scratch. I put a small amount of elecrolytes/vitamins in their water every other week. Plus they get leftover table scraps (they love halibut), and they free range some in the early evenings. I don't know what more they could possibly ever need and in the case of my hens, I cannot believe it's diet related.

Once they start egg eating, I've never been able to get them to stop. Tried all methods listed in these posts/threads. Now I just get rid of the egg eaters, once and for all. It's not worth the energy to try to stop them. I don't mean to sound cold, but here in Alaska, it's hard work to keep chickens in the winter. If they're not productive and they're causing trouble in the coop, they're out. I'll admit it -- I culled one for being a bully, it just would not let up on some of the others, so out it went. I have a calm, happy, well-nourished flock when I get rid of the trouble-makers, and it stays that way for the life of the flock. I had 11 red/black sex links, until this morning's egg eating episode. Now I have 10. The other one is roaming in the wild somewhere, and will not be let in to roost in that coop again, ever.

 

[10 pollos]

Good Luck with that! I have had the same problem for weeks! If I am not there between the hours of 7 30 am to noon to collect the eggs
they eat them. Ive tried everything!! including marble and wooden eggs, filling an egg with spicy mustard (they ate that too). lots of crushed oyster shells all over the place.
If anyone knows the true solution please post! I find myself leaving late for work just so I could get eggs!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Here's a link to a thread that suggests BOSS may cure egg eating. Mine are not laying yet so I don't have any direct experience of whether it works or not. Couldn't hurt, though.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=283914

 

[Yazzo]

I had this a couple of times.....all I did was pen up the 'criminals' for a few days or weeks, and collect their eggs regularly....didn't even have to file their beaks! When I let them out, they never ate another egg.

 

[vnploveschickens]

Like Alaskafarmgirl, I have 1 chicken that I've tried everything to break her of this bad habit. Lately, I've put her in jail at roosting time, and let her out later the next afternoon after all the eggs are collected so she can have a few hours of free range, social time. She is a speckled sussex about 6 1/2 months old. They all get flock raiser, oyster shell, BOSS, scrambled eggs, plain yogurt, grapes, etc....

I have jailed her 3 times already....for a few days to a week. She was ok only for a few days, but then ..... I'm so afraid that the others will pick up on her bad habit too.

I am at my wits end and very upset that I will probably have to cull her. My husband probably won't help either. He doesn't want to even trim the roosters spurs.

I just don't know what else to do.....

 

[Cheep]

Quote:
I think it's normal. I have watched a couple of my pullets go into the coop after singing the egg song. I waited & timed it, thinking I could stand there ~15 min or so. Well, I gave up after 1/2 hour. So 45 min seems normal to me.

 

[TGreenhut]

Quote:
DO NOT clip her beak, it can cause eating disorders and its cruel!