stoping chickes from eating eggs

[dragon86]

will it looks like any eggs on the coop floor r food for the chickens and turkeys and i need to fix this as there eating all my duck aggs any tips?

 

[Rammy]

Quote:
You might try making nesting boxes where the egg rolls away from the hen after she lays it. I think you can find the plans or buy them online. It just has like fake grass or something and a opening large enough for the egg to roll away and you collect them from the outside.
Or you can just try to collect them as fast as possible before they start eating them.


Rammy

 

[BWKatz]

You can also put golf balls in nesting boxes so they get the idea eggs are not for eating. Might put a few on floor too.

 

[dragon86]

cant really make a rolling nesting box for the ducks as they never get off the ground to lay and the coops on the ground for the most part but im thinking of building more breeding pens i got 3 so far for 6 of my ducks but im going to need at least 3 more for the other 3 hens and a drake for ea one and dont think i have the material left to do that just guess ill have to see. i tried filling eggs with chili powder and red pepper powder but them seem to like it.

 

[BWKatz]

Quote:
Try filling with cement or plaster of paris. Maybe that'll stop them.

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

I've heard putting curtains on the nesting boxes helps. Like some cloth cut to strips at the edges. It's supposed to not make the chicken see the egg, ao she won't be able to eat it. Or you can fill an egg with mustard- chickens try to eat it, they realize it tastes yucky, and they will hopefully leave the eggs alone after that.

 

[Rammy]

I didnt realize they were ducks. Have you done a search on here for similar posts and problems? Maybe that will help you. Sorry your having such a problem.

Rammy

 

[Mrs.Woodbaby]

We are having a problem with our chickens eating their eggs, too. One might try adding more oyster shell grit to feed the chickens and turkeys (ducks do not require it)--they may be eating the eggs due to not enough calcium in their diet. We tried that, putting a separate bowl in the coop and scattering it with the scratch grains too. It seems to have helped us some, now we are collecting eggs again.

We have also heard it could be due to a behavioral problem as well, so we were warned they may not stop once they've started. So you may have to separate the ducks to save their eggs.

The other ideas posted on the forum already are also good valid suggestions. We will have to restructure our own nests to hide the eggs from the hens, but at the moment we are just trying to beat them to the eggs.

At any rate, good luck!!!

 

[dragon86]

one more week and ill have all the ducks separate for the breeding season. but for now i just ill have to figure out when there laying cause no matter when i go out there i see no eggs from the ducks but if i put them in there own pen the next day theres an egg.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Try adding some protein to their diet, too. Especially a meaty type of protein, if you're feeding a plant based protein feed.