Will They Be Egg Eaters?

[AccentOnHakes]

I have two pullets, one of whom I'm trying to break off of laying on the poop board. If I leave it there, she lays there. If I take it out, she lays in the nest. However, I don't want to always have to take it out everyday, and put it back at night. Today I left it back on, and she laid on the poop board. When she left, she knocked over the roost and it cracked the egg. When I got there, it was untouched. I sure didn't want to eat it, and so I gave it to chickens. I gave it raw, because I sure don't want that thing in a pot I use to cook in.

They were leery of it--it took quite a bit of scratch to get them to eat it. And they only at the yolk, too.

They didn't see the shell when I gave it to them, just the insides, which I didn't scramble.

I've heard that as long as they don't crack the eggs, it's okay. It's natural for them to take advantage of a cracked egg.

This won't make them egg eaters, will it?

 

[maybejoey]

They should be okay but I would just throw it away next time. I t can help develop bad habits just seeing what it looks like and what the delicious stuff inside tastes like. And it is almost impossible to get them off of the bad habit. If they do seperate them from eggs and dont let them get to one, throw 3 or 4 golf balls in and when they peck at it they wont be able to break it and will eventually just give up and forget about the great taste of eggs.

 

[WalkerH]

I don't know if I would make it a habit. But I read don't give them raw egg in general cause it can. When I read that I made sure I cooked all the eggs I gave them. Mine didn't turn into egg eaters, but I only gave them raw eggs on one occasion.

 

[FromOregon]

I had a couple last week that I think were pecked by a blue jay..

the jay just broke a small hole big enough to eat a bit and left it the rest. I tossed it out for the girls when they weren't looking but made sure it was well crushed so they didn't get any ideas.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

So I guess that was a bad idea? Ooops. Judging by how they didn't seem to like it too much, though, they weren't too interested. Also there was another egg in the nest box, and they didn't bother it at all, so I don't think they've made the connection.

What if next time, I scramble it with a stick(out of their sight)?