Update on my egg-eating hens

[grullablue]

I just took a blanket type wall hanging thing....it was old and laying in the basement. Folded it in half the long way, and it practically fit over the three nestboxes! I used a staple gun, stapled it to the top, and cut the bottom so it was just below the opening of the nest box. Made a cut where the partitions are for the nest boxes, and all it is is flaps hanging down. I'll take a pic today and try to get it on here!

Angie

 

[BeardedChick]

Your explanation makes perfect sense to me, thanks. I'm going to make something like that up out of the old pile of levis that I saved.

 

[grullablue]

Over the weekend I suspected a couple of eaten eggs. But I thought, being it was "dark" in the nest boxes, maybe they were stepped on and smashed. So I didn't want to lose hope yet.

But today, I have found two eggs that have obviously been eaten, not smashed. Perfectly formed shells with holes in one side, insides eaten out.

I think it's time for me to give up on these girls.

 

[AllChookUp]

BC beat me to the question. Are your curtains just made of regular material? How dark or light of material did you use?

 

[grullablue]

It's dark in there! It's thick, heavy material, black on one side, and I doubled it up (folded it), so the white side is actually facing out. But it's dark inside. And worked for several days.... it was actually an old wall hanging with tigers on it...lol, but it was old and stained, so I didn't care to use it that way.

 

[AllChookUp]

Hmmm. Sounds like it should work. Sorry to hear they are still eating the eggs.

Have you given any thought to taking some eggs and making them gross-tasting so they don't want to eat them? I don't know what you'd use, tho. Sorry.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm sorry, Angie. It sure sounds like you have gone above and beyond to solve the problem. i did not have nearly your patience with the group of egg-eaters i adopted last year. i tried the hot sauce and wasabi sauce filled eggs, i did the curtain thing. i tried to get out right at the moment an egg hit the nest. But then i was still fighting them all off to grab that egg. i was wasting so much time just hanging around. Finally realized it was just not worth it and rehomed them.

There are lots of chickens out there who will happily lay eggs and not eat them. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

 

[Wynette]

Awe....sorry to hear this.

Have you tried wooden eggs? I've been told that if you put several wooden eggs into nest boxes, they'll peck at them, and once they realize they can't break them open, will stop trying. I guess it's another thing to try, anyhow!

Good luck!!

 

[BeardedChick]

Wynette - good idea, I'm going to try that when I collect eggs - I'll replace them with something. Currently I do have a rock egg in one of the nests, but the broody hen always wants to sit on that one. I wish she'd protect my eatin' eggs!

 

[grullablue]

Yes, first golf balls, then wooden eggs (thinking the eggs would work better, being more realistic than the golf balls!) They are currently still in there.

To try to find a home for them, of course I would be honest, but I can't imagine anyone would want 9 egg eating leghorns....

I was keeping my eyes out for some RIRs locally....didn't find any, I think we decided the plan would be if things didn't work out with these girls, we'd just be chicken-less this winter (save on the feed and electricity bill anyway) and order chicks as soon as they're available next year. Ugh.