The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Goldcraig on June 13, 2012, 06:53:29 am

Title: Egg Eaters !!!
Post by: Goldcraig on June 13, 2012, 06:53:29 am

For the past while, our hens have been eating eggs in the nest box. We have given them some oyster shell to their feed, added ceramic eggs to the box, all to no avail....
 
Any other suggestions on how to get them to stop?
 
We are checking regularly to remove the eggs as soon as they are laid, not as easy as it sounds thought.
 
One though may be that the nest box is too small for the 5 hens to use and there may be a bit of bullying going on...They are getting a new coop when I get home in a few weeks, so planning on making the nest boxes larger and have more of them (i.e one for each hen)...
 
Oh and just so you know.....it's p!ssing with rain in West Africa today !!!...have a safe day.

Title: Re: Egg Eaters !!!
Post by: manian on June 13, 2012, 07:19:02 am

hi
difficult tobreak the habit  i'm afraid.
we put extra  hot chilli paste in an egg so they got a nasty surprise :innocent: :innocent:  when the mustard didn't work..... well we gotthe surprise when they ALL went for it ad loved it :o :o
some have suggested covering the nest box entrance with strips
even if they have one nest box each- they will probably still use the same one
good luck
Mx

Title: Re: Egg Eaters !!!
Post by: Castle Farm on June 13, 2012, 07:35:44 am

Find out who it is and ring her neck before she gets them all at it.

Title: Re: Egg Eaters !!!
Post by: zeeteecee on June 13, 2012, 07:42:39 am

I has this problem for a while but I don't think mine had got in the habit of doing it.I made my nesting area darker with more nesting material and used the oyster shell too.I gave mine more things to keep them busy, bundles of green food hanging up etc.
I also moved my nest boxes to confuse their little chicken brains for a few days, worked for me but as I say it was not an established habit.
Good luck!

Title: Re: Egg Eaters !!!
Post by: in the hills on June 13, 2012, 07:15:38 pm

Darkening nest boxes and lemons - worked for mine  ;D

Title: Re: Egg Eaters !!!
Post by: chrismahon on June 13, 2012, 09:02:45 pm

Only time we've had a problem is with nestboxes that were without curtains, which we now make for all the coops from Wilkos rubber car mats slit, to within 50mm of the edge, into 15mm strips. We tried sacking but it frayed and got wrapped around their legs. We tried plastic but when they flapped their wings it blew about and caused mass panic.

Title: Re: Egg Eaters !!!
Post by: northfifeduckling on June 14, 2012, 08:53:43 am

I put a marble egg into each nesting box and if egg eating occurs or is suspected they get a hot (spicy)  mustard filled egg. Did work here but does not work for everyone! Good Luck.  :chook: :&>