Rescue Egg layers eating their eggs !!!!!

[Henny Penny Mom]

Hi Chicken Friends-

We rescued some 1 yr old egg layers (shaver sex-links I think) that were being "thrown out" they are the saddest bunch of semi-featherless things you would ever see ! But they are comign along nicely and growing feathers, their combs are getting some color (before they were a sickly pale pink)they are going outside and eating and behaving like normal chickens.

But I've noticed when they lay an egg they eat it; like piranas.... before when they were kenneled, they had no access to anything but being stuck in a cage where the egg dropped away. We have 30 of these sad chickens and only get about 2 eggs a day (they are the ones that get burried in the saw dust) Does anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to help this ? I"m hoping with proper diet (grain & asst other house foods) they will forget about egg eating.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions for vitamins or other thigns we can do for them ?

Thanks.. Henny Penny Mom

 

[mom23chicklets]

I am so not the expert here, but I have read that you can put golf balls or fake eggs in the nest to deter them from pecking. Maybe if they peck a few times at something really hard, they'll eventually stop.

I'm sure some of our BYC veterans will have advice for you. Good luck.

 

[BeckyLa]

Sounds to me like you need a nest box, or two, or several, that rolls the egg out of the hens reach. I know folks make them, hopefully someone who has will come by and tell you how. It may be a need for higher protein started them eating their eggs but one it's begun it's nearly impossible to cure. But such a nest box will solve the problem, if they are laying in their nests.

 

[Henny Penny Mom]

Hi - they are just laying everywhere outside in the dirt pen anywhere in the indoor pen; when I see the eggs that is... I'll try the golf balls and protien.... What would you add for protien to the food ? I'm not familiar with that for chickens - could I give them some cat food as a snack to supliment ??

Any ideas on how to get them to lay in nesting box ? Our other "normal " hens have from the start and also dont eat their eggs. I suspect these hens are eating our other chicken eggs too since we havent gotten any more of them.

Thanks so much !!

Henny Penny Mom

 

[SpottedCrow]

It's very possible for them to be eating whatever they can get their beaks on.
A roll away nest box would be ideal or even a trap nest...
I would think that once their bodies have adjusted to a real diet that this might slow down.
I use Tender Vittles, but others use dry cat food with yoghurt.

 

[greyfields]

In egg batteries, all the nests are roll-away so they don't have the chance to be egg eaters. However, the poor deprived hens will eat and peck anything out of boredom. It's really a great thing adopting them; but sometimes the long term psychological problems can be tough to deal with (we adopt retired racing Greyhounds, there are some basket cases I've come across). Your best bet will be to utilized a roll-away nest until they get out of survival mode.