UGH!!!! I have an egg eater. :(

[steffpeck]

The last week or so I have been having some eggs eaten. I finally figured out that one of my Cochin's is the culprit. I don't know what to do with her now. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

we just discovered the same problem with one of our birds, I did a search on the subject, egg eater, and got lots of ideas, primarily variations on the theme of a series of booby trapped eggs. We are frustrated as we have always left stone eggs out in the boxes instead of golf balls, and I move them around, as I was told that would prevent the whole problem..... Apparently not.

Good Luck

 

[Renee]

Golf balls. Don't leave any eggs in the nest boxes, only golf balls. Keep an eagle eye on her. If you are diligent and she does not find an egg she can eat for a week or so, you may be able to break her of it.

 

[steffpeck]

Thanks!

 

[CTChickenMom]

Is egg eating a sign of needing more protein in their diet?

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

I have heard that, but have no idea how it could be substantiated! Our chickens get fed a high quality balanced diet, have free choice oyster shell, and 3 days a week I go to our grocery store and am given thier produce left overs! They are the fattest most spoiled chickens I have ever seen. Even our rescue hens are in the groove now, waiting on the shelf for treats rather than demeaning themselves by scratching around on the floor for the goodies.

They even get our left overs, and cat food that isnt eaten. I dont know how they could possibly have a deficiency. I think the little brats are bored silly with all this snow, and see the eggs as a puzzle or piniata full of treats! Ungrateful little things.

 

[Renee]

I think it can be a sign of a protein deficiency, but most often, it's just that a chicken has figured out that there is EGG in that little white ball.

Egg is the tastiest thing in the world to a chicken; remember, it's what they ate as chicks before they hatched. They LOVE eggs.

The idea is to never let them figure out that eggs have egg in them. Once one has, you have to convince it that it was just a fluke and that eggs are too hard to crack (golf balls). She might forget, or she might not, in which case you may have to get rid of her before she teaches the other chickens her secret.

 

[steffpeck]

She totally knows what she is doing. I suspected it was her 2 days ago. Last night I put her in the small pen in my coop with my younger chickens. Today I went out and there were no broken/eaten eggs. I collected all the eggs and let them out to free-range. I also let her out with them so that she could run around with the others. One of my other chickens from the small pen got out and the girls were beating him up so I had to put him back in the small pen and when I turned around Mrs. Potts, the egg eater, was up in the nest boxes scratching around pecking at the wood and eating some of the wood shavings that had egg on them that I missed when cleaning up the mess from yesterday. She was so busted!!!! Now, I just have to figure out what to do with her.

 

[Renee]

Bad, bad Mrs. Potts.

There's another thread going on this problem and some recommend filling an empty egg with mustard or imitation grape soda. I guess those are awful tasting to chickens.

 

[Chirpy]

I have had personal experience with this issue. Now, this may not work for all other chickens but it worked for me.

I blew the egg out of a shell and then used a syringe to put a really, really hot tabasco sauce back into the empty shell. The next day I found the shell broken open... that was the last time. She never touched another egg.