Author Topic: Egg eater (Read 3088 times)

Carey boy · « **on:** August 09, 2016, 11:34:11 am »

Hi,

One of my hens is an egg eater. Any ideas on how I can stop it or how to identify the one so that I can stop it.

David

Anke · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2016, 12:24:26 pm »

I have found if one starts they all tuck in....

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2016, 03:08:01 pm »

we used to use hot mustard or chili powder, but I think the best way would be to get the eggs before she does. I have one or two which do this if i break an egg accidentally. I would try the hot mustard inside an egg and see if that works. another good thing to do would be to get a small camera night vision to see which one it is. apart from that I dont know...... someone plz say something better!

Ghdp · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2016, 03:56:28 pm »

I have had this problem but it did stop. I reaslised that letting them out all together before the last one had laid was a mistake as it only happened when one hen sneaked back in during the day in response to a hen loudly proclaiming she had produced an egg! Clearly that can only work with a small flock of regular morning layers.
It was as if the presence of others stopped her - and now the habit seems broken. It may just be co incidence. The mustard thing did not work for us.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2016, 04:00:45 pm »

I just separate them into an individual coop one at a time until I identify the culprit and then .....

Carey boy · « **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2016, 08:07:19 pm »

Guy's, thank you all for the good advice.

David

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #6 on:** August 18, 2016, 08:49:15 pm »

Hi,
The problem comes up every now and then as one of the girls lays thin shelled eggs and and each spring when the crows attack the duck eggs in the garden (and leaving the half eaten eggs for the chickens...)
The first thing I was advised to do was to block off the nesting boxes with curtains. This certainly makes a difference as they can't watch each other laying. Out of sight, out of mind.
Mustard filled eggs worked short term but are a lot of fuzz! So I bought a lot of wooden eggs and each nesting box holds 2. The culprit tends to peck at each egg once, then gives up. I get a lot of dented ones I can't sell but all the more for us

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2016, 09:55:14 am »

Problem with egg eaters left with others is that they will copy her. Might take a while but one day they'll get bored because it's raining and they don't want to go outside and then you'll have no eggs at all.

in the hills · « **Reply #8 on:** August 19, 2016, 10:13:23 am »

Lemons!!!!!

chrismm662 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 12, 2016, 11:58:16 am »

Ive found the best cure is adding fake eggs (or even golf balls !) to their nesting boxes, stopped my egg eating in a week.

chrismahon · « **Reply #10 on:** September 12, 2016, 12:21:55 pm »

We do the same and it has always worked. Put pot (ceramic not rubber) eggs in the nest boxes- they must get a real headache trying to peck them open!

Mustard in eggs I've never heard of being successful and can fuel the egg eating habit as some hens amazingly like the taste.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #11 on:** September 12, 2016, 01:20:35 pm »

I have one clever hen that now tries them all. She waits in the other nesting box until her sisters are done and then moves over and has a go, 2 wooden eggs or not! I can tell from her behaviour what she is up to, sometimes she sits down really quickly when I open the hatch to hide her bounty, as occasionally she gets lucky as elderly hen sometimes lays softies....