weekend problems - chicken picked bald and egg eating

[blueskylen]

Hi, i have been so happy with my chickens until this weekend!
now I have 1 bald hen and one with egg on it's face. DARN IT.

i have both of them separated in another coop for now, and put a noxious egg made of dish soap,mustard, vinegar, and horseradish in with them. they both took a peck at it, and started shaking their heads - this morning the egg is still there, and I am waiting to see what happens when one of them lays one.

I checked all of the nests last night, and no wet spots or shells, so I think that it is probably just these two. the other hens may have pecked at the one, because she was eating eggs - and the other one may just have stumbled on an egg that she had started with.
don't know, but am hoping that by adding more protien and calcium to their diet ( until they can get back outside in the evenings ) will help stop this. i sure don't want to have to cull these 2.

 

[unionwirewoman]

Do you just have hens , or is there also a roo ? The bald one might be from a roo , moulting , or dominance from other hens . As for the egg eating.....I've had my shre of it in the past . What I've come to notice is they were cracked when they first came out (hitting the floor etc ) or thin shelled . I don't have too much problem with it now (if hubby remembers to put the oyser shell in when he feeds ! ) Good luck , it should work itself out !

 

[whattheflock]

I hate egg eaters; feels like they are shortchanging me. I remedied my situation by employing several tactics. First I tried improving their diet. Next was enlarging the nestbox, adding fluff, and making it darker inside. Last add plastic easter eggs as decoys. I snickered everytime I caught Goldie in the nest box looking perplexed. I also tried to collect the eggs as often as possible. All that made it harder for them so they gave up and reverted to regular chickens again, hooray! I prevailed, so can you, good luck.