Author Topic: more hens eating eggs (Read 7720 times)

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #15 on:** May 13, 2009, 07:53:12 pm »

as far as I can tell as the observer is that they have developed a habit, maybe following an accident like that ?? They obviously get a taste for them to turn into cannibals. Seems to be a widespread problems with hens (I'm glad I've got ducks myself!). Do you mean that cooked eggs put them off?

G0MZS · « **Reply #16 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:04:40 pm »

Quote from: northfifeduckling on May 13, 2009, 07:53:12 pm

as far as I can tell as the observer is that they have developed a habit, maybe following an accident like that ?? They obviously get a taste for them to turn into cannibals. Seems to be a widespread problems with hens (I'm glad I've got ducks myself!). Do you mean that cooked eggs put them off?

Not sure I would call it cannibalism to eat their own mense fluid, after all use humans have been known to eat after birth for goodness.... The reason you feed them cooked eggs and shell is to put goodness back into them. The hens just eat the eggs that have broken when layed by the largest who keeps dropping them on hard ground and don't break into them.

At first ex-bats eggs are runny so during this time of recovery I was told to feed them their own eggs and shell, cooked.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #17 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:59:07 pm »

I didn't fancy eating my placentae at the time (we did watch the River Cottage episode though), but we buried them and planted trees on top. Both trees have not been doing too well, lol, but the kids are ok, that's the main thing!
Back to the eggs and hens - we fed boiled egg yolk to fading ducklings for strength last year, yes, it is a great supplement for weak or recovering birds (didn't save all but one duckling) . But these hens I am enquiring about are well fed and thriving, from organic stock, fed with pellets, grain, kitchen scraps and are free range. My friend did try the mustard egg trick, but they just left those eggs alone and ate all the others...Any other suggestions to stop them are welcome.

doganjo · « **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2009, 04:03:57 pm »

As I said before the only way I stopped it was to split the hens into two lots, then agin, then again till I got the offending one. Then put stone eggs on with her.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #19 on:** May 15, 2009, 04:53:26 pm »

I'll pass that one on, Annie!

The Relic · « **Reply #20 on:** May 15, 2009, 05:43:11 pm »

i was convinced my chooks were nibbling on their eggs til i seen the culprit in action. crows. now i have to lock them out during the day unless they all lay during the night. crows still a problem as they munch on their feed. have to get myself a pellet gun or i might try a scarecrow first.

dreamer · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2009, 05:09:44 pm »

I have today been on a poultry keeping course, the question about hens eating their eggs was asked, the answer was that the chicken needs more calcium. not sure if this is helpful ive never even kept a chicken yet .