Update on my egg eaters

[Mysterybirds]

So after my complete panic about the egg eating going on in my coop I made a few simple changes. I made new nest boxes that are very dark and private, I stopped giving any scratch, I made sure they had continuous oystershell available, and I spent the next few days checking for eggs constantly. Oh, and made certain they had the option of going out even in mucky weather. Once they figured out the new boxes they started to lay in there and I have had no signs of eaten eggs in them.

I then discovered that at least one hen had made the decision to only lay on top of some bags of shavings and grain stored in the corner. Her eggs would then fall off and either be hidden but dented or found and eaten. So I moved everything but the oystershell. She sat on the oystershell to lay. So I moved it all, cleaned the whole corner, everyone spent the day scratching in there. Yesterday I had one real egg and one terrifying mutant egg (looked like a pinky finger with rolled up ends. This morning? Three eggs, in the boxes (well, in the one favorite box), all healthy and happy and beautiful. That is a new record for us! I have ten pullets but not all of them have even started laying yet.

I'm feeling like this is a success. Thank you so much for the suggestions and the handholding through it. I still give the Wyandottes dirty looks but they ignore me so it doesn't seem to cause them any trouble.

 

[noshoes]

Great update and very useful info. Thank you for taking the time to share this experience!

 

[pattycake]

Hurray! I'm glad to hear the egg-eating can be turned around when caught early. I seemed to nip it in the bud, and if you did too, we know it's possible...