They ate ALL the eggs!!!!!

[PaulaJoAnne]

Well, almost.....we get between 12 and 20 eggs per day. Today, there was evidence of eggs being eaten in all the boxes, and I rescued only 3 eggs.

I know they are getting enough food/protein. That is not an issue as far as I can tell.

Short of sitting out in the coop all day, in below zero weather, I have no idea how I can figure out who is doing it

Does anyone think I could try baiting them, with hot sauce filled eggs left in the nests overnight?
Or is that too much work?

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Put golf balls in the next boxes. The try to peck one of those and it hurts.

Also make sure you have plenty of soft material in the nest box so when the peck, the force is absorbed by the matter and they don't actually breack the egg.

 

[3goodeggs]

oh. no. that's a tough one. There is a guy on this site that is a handy with making wood bend to his will. He made some nest boxes that have the eggs roll back into a safe place. I think his name is Opa. Do a search for nest boxes and look through them. Some have wonderful pictures.
From all I have read, once they get a taste for egg, it's freezer camp.
I would consider his nifty egg box first.
For now you can try ceramic eggs and wood eggs so they will get no satisfaction from pecking at them.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

The roll away nest has crossed my mind, but the problem we face, is the extreme temps and eggs getting frozen.....
I will get some golf balls tonight when I am in town, and give those a try.
We will be taking care of the old hens in the morning. Hopefully we can knock out a criminal or two that way.

Any ideas on things that might help possible boredom?
We have to much snow for them to be out and about, and our crazy new (rental) neighbors are now letting their dog run loose, and he keeps trying to get in the coop and run.
If its not one thing, its another.

 

[3goodeggs]

While you are in town pick up some cabbages. They can peck at them instead of the eggs.

 

[CMV]

Hot sauce in the eggs doesn't work. Chickens have no taste receptors for the hot stuff. Try some wooden/plaster eggs. Tough habit to break and folks usually need to either 1) find the culprit and remove her, or 2) have a tilted floor in the nesting box that allows eggs to roll into a safe place until collection.

 

[The Sheriff]

Have you tried putting a Purina Flock Block in the coop? It's 25 pounds of super compressed seeds, grains and goodies they love. They have to work hard at pecking it and it keeps them entertained for hours. They may forget about the eggs.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
Maybe not. They can eliminate a 10 pound head of cabbage in less than an hour

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
I will look for one. At least its soy free. We and our customers prefer that the chickens are not fed soy, and even though we avoid GMOs, we may have to cave on that for awhile

 

[claud]

If your temps have been near 0 and the eggs are freezing the eggs are probably cracking on their own. A broken egg is an eaten egg in the chicken world.
You may not really have "egg-eaters" but opportunists that can't possibly resist a yummy broken egg.
Your best bet for this situation is to collect the eggs as often as possible throughout the day.

How many nest boxes do you have and how many hens? IF they are eating them because they are freezing and cracking it may be beneficial to reduce the # of nest boxes so that there is often a warm hen sitting in the box. Also, add a lot of nesting material to the boxes - hay would work.