[zeeteecee]

Hi, I've never had this problem before, but earlier this week I lost an egg to the hens, shell and contents.so I immediately darkened the nestbox area by painting the windows black. Tuesday, no egg loss, Wednesday and Thursday no egg loss, but this morning I went to let them out at 5.50am and caught 2 ladies in the act! The don't have access to forage, but each day have bundles of fresh weeds hung from the run ceiling, they are fed a good quality layers ration and scratch corn.I think its just something that the hens enjoy so how to stop it if possible please.I have now removed the 2 from the flock but don't really know what to do with them now.

Should I place something over the front of the nest boxes to deter the eaters, or will this just mean more eggs laid on the floor?eek....!

[jaykay]

Well, they say you can do all sorts of things like blowing an egg and filling it with a paste of mustard and chilli. Worth trying?

I've never tried that, the only way I've stopped it was by collecting the eggs very often for a while - only practical if you're around during the day of course.

Some people say the only solution is to eat the offenders.

A roll-away nest box is the other answer.

[zeeteecee]

I am just about to go and put something across the front of the nest boxes, to deter the casual eater, buthopefully not the layers, we will see! If this doesn't work.then a swift bit of diy at the weekend may be in order, to convert our nest boxes to roll away ones.does anyone else have roll aways? Don't the hens mind the lack of nesting material?

Thankyou, I'll keep you posted!
Z

[Fowlman]

Other than what has already been suggested if you darken the nest box that usually helps.

[zeeteecee]

Thankyou both, ran out of time this morning, so have given them extra yummy weeds etc so hopefully their tiny hen brains will be occupied enough to forget eggs for today.I'm at home all day tomorrow so can effect darker nest boxes and possibly rollaway boxes then.its a work in progress but I'm glad I caught it early.I just put an egg down in front of the flock, and apart from a couple of inquisitive pecks, they ignored it.fingers crossed again!

[MrsJ]

My new girls have just started laying.  The Bluebelle producing her first egg yesterday - all 33g of it!  Never had one that tiny before.  This morning, when I let them out of the roost box, I noticed there was a small soft shelled egg in the coup that I didnt notice when I shut them up last night.  Before I could get it out, one of them had trodden on it and all three started to eat it. I do hope this won't give them the wrong idea.

[in the hills]

As said, collect eggs as often as possible. Put rubber/stone eggs in the nest boxes. You can fill eggs with something hot/unpleaseant. I used lemons once and this seemed to work very well and they lasted quite a long time in the nest boxes. If it is possible, let the hens out to free range for at least part of the day. Darken nest boxes by hanging something in front of them. Never had a persistent egg eater but I know some people have.

I took on some hens recently from a lady that could no longer keep them. One lays a soft shelled egg and I think it could lead to egg eating. Tends to get broken and cover other eggs. Of couse these then taste nice and encourages interest in the eggs. Try to make sure that I collect as often as possible and clean nest boxes if I see mess. I suppose she should go really but unless ill my hens stay forever. 

[chrismahon]

Agree with In the Hills ZTC. But have heard that some hens like mustard in the eggs and that only makes it worse. We have had instances of egg eating but adding a pot or rubber egg in each box and putting curtains at the front (we use Wiko rubber car mats cut into 15mm strips to within 2" of the edge) cures it. The only case where we failed was a hen that used to lay the egg and turned round immediately and ate it. Soft shelled eggs encourage egg eating and we had one that used to eat the cockerels rearer pellets rather than the layers. When we got her on to layers only the egg shells thickeneed and the eating stopped. Apparently some hens tap the egg to check the shell. We've had beak sized slots in the shells but the contents uneaten and that practice stopped with curtains added.

[Mel Rice]

If they eat the odd one it is probably a dammaged or soft shelled egg. Persistant eating ive never had (Unless they do and I havnt seen them!!!)

[zeeteecee]

I let them out extra eye-blindingly early this morning, that will teach them! Going to try the box darkening technique, I've got some black damp course plastic which might do just as well as cheap car mats, I'll introduce one strip to each nest box at a time though, don't want to turn them into floor layers!

[in the hills]

Someone I know uses empty plastic animal feed bags stapled to the top of the nest boxes and dangling down to produce a curtain. They cut the curtain into vertical strips to let hens in easily.

[zeeteecee]

Thankyou, yes I have mulled over various possibilities, and the damp proof reinforced black plastic strip seems to be my favourite so far.I haven't had a moment to do anything to it, but no eggs lost today, and tomorrow I will start to hang strips.I think I'll put them up a couple at a time so as not to upset my daft chooks! As it doesn't seem to be habitual right now I'm not so stressed about it, and can take my time with the strips, putting them up slowly over a couple of days.all responses are great, thankyou, just another reason why I love these forums!:-)