Why are my pheasants eating their eggs?

[poultrylady]

I've got 4 different pens of pheasants, Silvers, Red Goldens and 2 pens of Lady Amhearst. The Red Goldens have never ate an egg, the Silvers eat them if I don't grap them instantly and one pen of the Amhearst eat their eggs the minute they lay them, the other older Amhearst never eat theirs. I can't figure out why they are doing this. They all have nice size pens, plenty of room, I feed them purina gamebird breeder and give them alot of extra treats, lettuce, celery, watermellon. etc. and they even have purina flock blocks to peck at. It is so aggravating to see broken eggs that have been ate. They do have nice private nest boxes to lay in-they are somewhat like a long barrel, laid lenght wise on the ground with pine shaving in them. about 2 feet long so the hens can get back in them and hide to lay the eggs. Anybody have any ideas on why they are doing this?

 

[La Mike]

Do they have plenty of access to oyster shell or calcium. If so they just are and probably wont stop. Do your best to grab their eggs as fast as possible. If not try giving them an oyster shell supplement

 

[Yvonne37894]

I don't know the why, but , ours did that last year.
I put golf balls in the pen, 6-7 of them, the rooster pecked at them. Found nothing to eat.
We watched for signs of laying and got the eggs as soon as laid.
This year no probems.
I have not changed the diet any.
Ours won't lay in the nest we made for them.

 

[wdmatthews]

I had the same thing happen with my Red Golden hen. None of my pheasants lay in their nest boxes. The Red hen laid a soft egg about a week ago...so I started adding extra oyster shell to their feed. Went out of town for a few days and came home to 4 eggs missing. Their pens have plenty of room for just the two of them. My yellow goldens are not showing any signs of egg eating. We have had some really messed up weather here in north mississippi lately...So i have been blaming it on the weather...lol

 

[chrisarvor]

thats really strange as i have egg eater this year as well
i give them oyster shell and and boiled eggs this is happening in 3 of my aviaries
I have blown several eggs and filled them with Mustard,which they eat the lot!!!!!!!!!!!!
then i filled some eggs with plaster and chilly powder and they eat the shell and left the plaster

i will try the golf balls next

 

[Tony K T]

I would clip their beaks back until you get a trickle of blood and fill some eggs with tobasco sauce.It's harder for them to break an egg with a blunt beak and if they do break one open,I'm sure the tobasco will make them think twice.I know it's the wrong time of the year to be bothering your birds,and they may stop laying for a while,but your not getting any eggs anyways so it's not going to be a lose.Their beaks will grow back and you may have to clip them again if they are still eating eggs.It does not hurt them it is just like clipping your nails.Also have grit available at all times and put a splash of apple cider vinegar in their water.Hit them with everything at once and maybe you can cure them fast.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

I have heard this,,it's an old wives tale,,,but to break the habit of chickens and other birds from breaking and eating their eggs,,sacrifice a few of them and blow them out. Refill with yellow mustard and dip the egg in candle wax to plug the hole,or holes you made in it to blow the old yoke and white out. Rumor has it,,,that chickens HATES the taste of yellow mustard,,,I've never tried this but remember my grandmother doing this decades ago with leghorns,before she got roll out nest boxes for them to lay their eggs in.Let me know if it works,,as I have wheaton marans that can't wait to lay and break and then eat their eggs.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Tony K T,,wonder what they would do with some INSANE HOT WING sauce put inside the egg?? Yellow mustard may not be strong enuf,as my grandmother used to do,,but some of the super hot wing sauces out there,you could dilute with water and it would still pack a punch.

 

[poultrylady]

Thanks for the replys, I quess I will trim the beaks, I do hate to do it right now but as you said I'm not getting any eggs anyway from 2 of the pens.

 

[Tony K T]

Whatever works is good.
In N.H.,Tony.
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