Quandry - Chickens, Bad Behavior, and Duck Eggs

[U_Stormcrow]

So, I have a problem. The easiset solution - dividing groups back up, isn't in the cards right now - lacking time, and lacking cooperation by the flock.

I've a mixed flock, a handful of ducks, and LOTS of chickens. Ducks nest on the ground. They don't use nesting boxes. They leave the egg and go.

For a while now, I've not been getting duck eggs - figurted a combination of molting ducks and adolescents not yet laying. This week, i've had 4 duck eggs so far - definite improvement. Today, as I went out mid day to gather eggs, I saw that a duck had laid an egg under the raised coop (one of the many, many spots they tend to lay them).

Before i could get to it, a gaggle of hens descended upon it, pecked it till it cracked open, and consumed it. But they leave their own eggs, in the nests, alone!!!

If I can identify the girl(s) going for the eggs ont he ground first, and cull them, will that end the behavior? I'm putting some fake eggs down to reinforce the idea that no reward is forthcoming for bad behavior. The chances of training the ducks to lay in any particularl spot, based on the past year+ of ownerhip is about nil...

Any experience would be appreciated - this isn't something I 've found much writing about.

Thanks in advance!

 

[FlyAnywayAJ]

I agree that training a duck to lay in a desired spot is unlikely. I’ve only had one duck lay in the chicken boxes out of about 3 dozen attempts.
This is definitely a challenging situation as egg eating is a notoriously difficult habit to break a chicken from. We use golf balls as well as plastic Easter eggs filled with hot mustard and hot sauce as deterrents. I can’t honestly say it works all the time (I wish I could) but it has worked. It also helps find the instigator of the behaviour, the one covered in mustard! If you can identify the culprits and cull them it should stop the behaviour, we have headed down that road as well unfortunately. Good luck!

 

[nuthatched]

Perhaps leave duck eggs that you've blown out and filled with yellow dish soap. I'm not sure chickens can taste spice at all but most animals can't have mustard. (Induces vomiting)