Rooster smashing and eating eggs

[SecondChanceRanch]

To be honest I think this behavior began because I had 2 roosters UNTIL today. The one we rehomed was very aggressive towards the remaining rooster. He ended up staying in the coop when everyone else was in the run eating and hanging out.

I think he was so low on the totem pole that he chose to stay in and start a new, bad habit of smashing eggs and having a private meal, alone!

I am hopeful that this behavior will end now that the other rooster has been rehomed.

He is smashing them IN the NESTING boxes. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

 

[SueT]

I suggest the crock pot solution.

 

[SecondChanceRanch]

I suggest the crock pot solution.

The worst part is that I obviously rehomed the wrong rooster!

 

[EmuMom]

I've never tried it, but I've read that you can blow out a chicken egg and fill it with mustard and then when they offender brakes into it to eat it, it turns them off of their bad habit.

 

[Stephine]

You can try getting some of those ceramic eggs at the feed store. Mark them with a sharpie because they look just like the real thing (I boiled one the other day accidentally ). Put thise in the nest and take the real eggs out frequently. He will find a lot of duds that way and that together with his new responsibilities and freedom to move about MIGHT get him to drop the habit if you are lucky. Crossing my fingers!

 

[SecondChanceRanch]

I

I've never tried it, but I've read that you can blow out a chicken egg and fill it with mustard and then when they offender brakes into it to eat it, it turns them off of their bad habit.

Will try this!!

 

[SecondChanceRanch]

Than

You can try getting some of those ceramic eggs at the feed store. Mark them with a sharpie because they look just like the real thing (I boiled one the other day accidentally ). Put thise in the nest and take the real eggs out frequently. He will find a lot of duds that way and that together with his new responsibilities and freedom to move about MIGHT get him to drop the habit if you are lucky. Crossing my fingers!

Thank you! Will do this as well!

 

[RWise]

I'll be watching to see if these work, I would be making dumplings! Also I would never re-home a dud!

 

[aart]

Are you positive it's the 'rooster' smashing the eggs?
How old is he?
Do the broken eggs have thin shells?
Might be a good idea to keep him in another enclosure for part of the day.

 

[Mosey2003]

If it were me, and providing that you KNOW it is the rooster (ie have seen him doing it), and providing that I was unwilling to cull him for some reason....

I'm going to assume the behavior started because he didn't have full access to food and water (because of the dominant rooster). So, I would sequester him alone with plenty of clean water and a high protein feed, at least a meatbird crumble, if not gamebird, and maybe even some meaty treats like sardines or leftovers from dinner (no fruit/veg or other low protein offerings though). I would try that for about a week, and then introduce him back, preferably after the eggs have been laid and collected for the day. If he starts right back in the next day he'd be soup.