[Llandovery Lass]

I guess this is an old topic, how do I find out who it is? and what do I do to her when I find out.

[jaykay]

Finding out is the hard bit - a close watch is all. I caught one of our Marans in what I suspect was in the act yesterday    If I'm being charitable, the egg might have broken and she might have been investigating, but I suspect not!

As for what you do about it. Collect the eggs very regularly. Use a roll-away nest box. Blow an egg and fill it full of anything you can make a paste with plus mustard/chilli. Eat her, if you find out who it is!

[daddymatty82]

eat her? is it a common thing happening? you tried a mustard egg? 1 way to find out egg layers is regular egg collections if im home i hear them going bezerk i go out and usally the 1 going berzerk is the one who just laid the warm sometimes still soft egg i collect.

[doganjo]

This takes a few days,especially if you have a lot of hens, but it works.  Split into two groups, select group where egg is being eaten, split that, then again till you find the culprit - then leave her on her own with only hard eggs of whatever variety. Take note of when she lays and remove her eggs immediately.  It does take a bit of effort putting barriers between them and places for them to have shelter, but it finds the right one.  I doubt if you'd get much meat off her if she is a laying hen so I wouldn't bother eating her.

[plumseverywhere]

we had an egg eater. we put pot eggs in, they peck them once and kind of go off the idea as they get nowhere. currently got 14 chickens and no egg eaters and have never had to eat any of the birds.
also keep your nest boxes really dark

[Llandovery Lass]

Thanks for your help, I am thinking it may have been 2 accidents, nothing has happened since and on one collection there were 5 eggs, laid in quick succession, they must have been queueing for the boxes. So all my girls are safe and not destined for the pot, yet.

[goosepimple]

I give my hens treats twice a week - black sunflower seeds one day and buttered cous cous or cornflakes and milk another time - never had a problem with egg pecking and I don't know if its because of the treats - we don't sell our eggs, just use them ourselves (or give to mother in law and it would take more than that to poison her ) but I don't collect our eggs over quickly, maybe ever couple of days.  They could be just bored?  Tell them a few mother in law jokes ....

[poppajohn]

Once you find the culprit wring its neck and eat it. Once they have a taste they will not stop and the habit will spread to the rest. Sorry to be brutal but in fifty years of keeping hens I have never cured it, so you might as well have a good roast.