We've got an egg-eater on our hands...😤

[talkinboutchickens]

Golf balls have always worked for me. And a lot of other BYCers as well. In fact I use the bright yellow ones so they don't fool me! I like the texture so if I have to reach under a hen I can tell the golf balls from the actual eggs by feel.

Okay I'll try it out and let you know how it goes..Lets hope there's some golf balls somewhere in the garage

 

[BigBlueHen53]

They're cheap. WM carries them.

 

[Farrari]

That's a good point! But wouldn't it prevent them from laying in the nests altogether?

It hasn’t deterred mine, I presume only the one nosing around must get it up their nose but I really don’t know how it works, I know I wouldn’t like mustard powder up my nose

 

[talkinboutchickens]

It hasn’t deterred mine, I presume only the one nosing around must get it up their nose but I really don’t know how it works, I know I wouldn’t like mustard powder up my nose

Yeah me neither lol

 

[mosse71]

ive got the same problem. just started in march as they started to lay good again. usually i can stop, them buy putting the fake ceramic eggs in their nest. not this time. there's yolk and shell fragments all over in their nest boxes. i got rid of the r.i reds that were in there because they weren't laying much since last year. i was hoping it was them, but it wasn't. now there's copper marans and easter eggers in there. ill have to try the mustard trick. 1st time in 45 years or raising chickens that i haven't been able to stop this.

 

[alsaulnier]

ive got the same problem. just started in march as they started to lay good again. usually i can stop, them buy putting the fake ceramic eggs in their nest. not this time. there's yolk and shell fragments all over in their nest boxes. i got rid of the r.i reds that were in there because they weren't laying much since last year. i was hoping it was them, but it wasn't. now there's copper marans and easter eggers in there. ill have to try the mustard trick. 1st time in 45 years or raising chickens that i haven't been able to stop this.

I had the same problem in March, my local feed supplier suggested a higher protein feed. I've been using 19% protein feed since and the problem is mostly gone. I still on chicken that will still eat an egg, maybe every 3 or 4 weeks. The mustard did not work for me either, they seem to enjoy it.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

ive got the same problem. just started in march as they started to lay good again. usually i can stop, them buy putting the fake ceramic eggs in their nest. not this time. there's yolk and shell fragments all over in their nest boxes. i got rid of the r.i reds that were in there because they weren't laying much since last year. i was hoping it was them, but it wasn't. now there's copper marans and easter eggers in there. ill have to try the mustard trick. 1st time in 45 years or raising chickens that i haven't been able to stop this.

So sorry that this is happening to you as well!! I tried the mustard trick, but later that day, I checked on the eggs again...And the mustard egg was CLEANLY pecked out like they enjoyed the mustard!! There was no trace left except the shell!! So I put a golf ball in there and I rotate it in between nest boxes, and either that has kinda helped or they have coincidentally stopped LIKE WHAT THE HECK.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I had the same problem in March, my local feed supplier suggested a higher protein feed. I've been using 19% protein feed since and the problem is mostly gone. I still on chicken that will still eat an egg, maybe every 3 or 4 weeks. The mustard did not work for me either, they seem to enjoy it.

Our egg eating issue was more prevalent when mine weren't free-ranging I feel. We stopped free-ranged them for a while during the peak of the bird flu, but once the cases had stopped I started free-ranging them and the egg-eating problem has definitely slowed. I may find a mutilated egg once or twice a week or so, but not every day like when they weren't allowed to go outside. I think when they were locked up they were either bored or were lacking nutrients and perhaps that is why they went through an egg-eating phase

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I had an egg eater sometime last year. I put blinders on her for about a week, & it stopped her bad habit.

I have an egg eater too and I can't seem to stop her! I want to try blinders. Where did you get them?

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have an egg eater too and I can't seem to stop her! I want to try blinders. Where did you get them?

I ordered mine from Amazon.