Egg Eating

[ninnymary]

Argggg...I noticed a couple of days ago that I wasn't getting the daily egg from my red sex link. There was no trace of shell or anything. Then I noticed a wet spot in the nest box but wasn't sure it it was egg or running poop. On the third day, I picked up the egg as soon as it was laid. I realized afterward that I should have left it there and tried to catch the culprit red handed. Today, I checked and there was no egg. Fifty minutes later I went to check again and there was an empty egg shell. I don't know who ate it. I suspect it might be my ameracauna. I've noticed that she stays inside the enclosed area where the nest boxes are. She is not broody but has stayed there ever since I integrated my pullets about 2 months ago. She is pretty much up there in the pecking order. I don't know why she appears to be hiding there.

How can I catch whoever is doing it?

Should I separate my ameracauna in case it's her for a few days?

How can I break this habit with whoever is guilty?

Mary

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I don't know if this would work but... but maybe you can try soaking an egg in blue food dye (any color that is easy not to mistake for something else) for a week or so until the color has penetrated the egg white and started to color the yolk. Then you can put the egg back in the nest box, the chicken eats it, and you can go through your flock and (if it works) see if one of your chickens has blue on it's beak or in it's mouth.

It's probably a long-shot, but It's an idea. Other than that I'm not going to be much help. We've never had or at least noticed this problem with our chickens, if we did have it before we have so many chickens that one or two missing eggs wouldn't matter.

Good luck!

 

[buckabucka]

I have never had to break a hen of this habit, but have heard it will spread. The solution I read about was to get cheap grocery store eggs and give them all they can eat until they get sick of them. While this might work, it seems like a messy project! Maybe you could start by separating the offender. You could make roll-away nest boxes, but that's another big project. This link is the one that talks about feeding them eggs (scroll down to find the subject).
http://www.darkbrowneggs.info/chicken-problems/4554071456
Good luck!

 

[ninnymary]

I've been researching and apparently you make a pin hole and each end of the egg shell, empty the egg, and restuff with mustard. Chickens hate the taste and once they break the egg and eat it they won't do it again. Not sure if this would work.

I like the idea of the roll out boxes. Have to check to see if my husband can modify the ones we already have with minimal work. I just hate another project.

Mary

 

[digitS']

I have dealt with this, Mary.

Chickens will not eat what they cannot see.

Covering the nestboxes with heavy but movable fabric will allow the hens to enter and continue laying in a familiar location. Once inside, they should be comfortable but they cannot see the eggs.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Thanks Steve,

I will try to find a canvas type fabric to make a curtain. I've been wanting to do this anyway because ever since I integrated the pullets, someone has been kicking the straw out the box and even out the doorway! Everyday, I have to add new straw. Before, I only had to refresh the straw every couple weeks.

Mary

 

[baymule]

I have curtains on my nest box, but they still eat eggs. Maybe on my new coop........

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/287684/new-rollout-nest-design-picture-heavy-edited-1-21

 

[thistlebloom]

Maybe if you put 3 or 4 of those hard ceramic eggs in the nest box she'll wear her beak out and give up the idea!

 

[ninnymary]

Bay, that is not what I wanted to hear! I will try the curtain first and if it doesn't work then I will look into a rollout nest box.

Mary

 

[journey11]

Mine took to egg eating this year too. There is one hen that I caught with yolk on her face, but she probably isn't alone. I put two stone eggs into the nest and they pretty much stopped once they realized they couldn't bust those (and maybe it hurt to peck it, I don't know.) But they will eat the eggs again if I ever let the feeder run empty. As long as I have been diligent to keep it full, they have not eaten the eggs. It is a hard to stop problem. I built a roll-out nest for this purpose, but half of the girls wouldn't use it. I will make a few changes to it with the next batch of pullets I get.