Should we eat our egg eating pullet?

[savingdogs]

We have a group of chickens hatched last spring that have only been laying a month or two or are beginning to lay eggs.

One of our prettiest Buff Orpingtons has been pecking at and eating eggs and we think she has eaten alot. At first we could not figure out what was happening but three of us have caught the same bird (we think) in the act and today we marked her with a sharpy marker to be sure we have the correct culprit.

But she has probably eaten about a dozen eggs.

I did read the threads about this and tried giving her cat food, things to do, and special treats to keep her busy outside the nest box. Today we were doing all of these things and still she went in the coop and was seen pecking at and eating some other pullet's egg. I do not have a curtain up between the main coop and nesting area is the only suggestion I have not yet implimented but I think it may be too late in her case for out of site, out of mind.

My son observed that the other chickens were watching her egg pecking but not participating. I also saw something similar, but it was just one chicken making dissaproving sounds while she watched the orpington pecking at an egg.

Would it be prudent to quickly dispatch the offender? She is really such a pretty and a tame Orpington I hate to do it especially so early in her production years, but if she is going to eat eggs she is not exactly producing especially if the others catch on.
Please let me know your opinion quickly my dear chicken experts!

 

[chookchick]

I have a theory which is totally untested--but it seems to me that the young, non-laying pullets, or just laying, are the most likely to eat eggs. They are so prone to laying soft shells and trying them out. Is she laying yet? If not, she may not "know" what eggs are for. Is there anyway you can separate her out in an adjacent pen and give her a little more time to figure things out? (maybe with a non-laying roommate). Then you can also up the protein level in her feed.

 

[silkiechicken]

I personally would make soup if other options haven't worked in a short amount of time. The last thing you want is these girls to all learn egg tastes good.

 

[patandchickens]

I'm with silkiechicken. Yah, it is *possible* she might outgrow it or that a blown egg filled with mustard (or etc etc) might reeducate her, but it is also quite possible she won't and it wouldn't, and in the meantime every day that goes by is another day in which one of her colleagues may decide to try to follow her example.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

Another theory I had heard about was injecting an egg with quite a bit of tabasco sauce. You might have to do it several times...

 

[playhousechickens]

I'm not sure about the tabasco cause I thought they didn't have the heat recepters...One cure for parasites is to give them cayanne pepper cause they don't feel the heat.

 

[silkiechicken]

They can't taste the heat, but the idea is to just make the egg unpleasant and not like what they want. Some say put in a bunch of ceramic eggs too, so they get bored of picking on eggs without reward. I say nip it in the bud before others learn.

 

[patandchickens]

If you do make soup, think of it as you're finally getting back (albeit indirectly) those eggs she et ;>

Pat

 

[karl lutz]

It doesn' t sound good. Butcher block Joe says chop her head off.

 

[mightieskeeper]

Pat that is funny! You get last laugh.