NatalieC Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 For the last three weeks, Laverne has been laying her eggs very early each morning so that when I let her out each morning she has pecked a hole in the end of the egg (looks like she's bashed it with a little spoon!) and either left it pecked or eaten the contents. She only does this with her own eggs and leaves Shirley's untouched. I've tried letting them out earlier and earlier in the morning but it seems to make no difference as the eggs are still vandalised (goodness knows what time she's laying). What can I do to stop her, as she lays every day (with the odd softy here and there) and our egg supply is now greatly reduced. Is she just bored or missing something from her diet? Shirley is laying perfectly normally and they both have the same diet and have been wormed recently. Please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Can you do the mustard trick (blow the contents out of an egg and fill with mustard and seal up egg) should put her off once she has tasted the contents? Other trick I think is to put a china egg in so that she finds it is too tough for her beak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatalieC Posted May 9, 2008 Author Share Posted May 9, 2008 Thanks - will definitely try that one, will let you know if it works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
druids57 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 when we bought our chickens the breeder said that if they are short of grit in their diet or given crushed egg shells as grit they are likely to break their own eggs. Just a thought Druids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I've just adopted a chicken that does (did) this. We have put a rubber egg in the nest. The last three days she has not eaten her egg. Hopefully she won't start again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatalieC Posted May 11, 2008 Author Share Posted May 11, 2008 Have tried putting the mustard egg and golf balls in - this morning she'd laid two soft shelled eggs and eaten both. Tomorrow she should lay normally (this would follow her usual pattern) so that should be our first proper attempt at stopping her or putting her off. Will keep you posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Good luck with it. Good choice of names by the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatalieC Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 Not good news, despite the golf balls, mustard egg and me getting up at 5.30 to let them out Laverne has done the same today. She hadn't laid when I let them out this morning so I thought I cracked it (excuse the pun!). However, I've been on a school trip with my daughter today so asked my Dad to check on her mid morning and he found another vandalised egg. She's obviously had a good go at the mustard egg again as there is mustard everywhere - I think I've got a delinquent chicken on my hands. In the meantime, I'll persevere and tonight I'm going to put a boredom buster seed ball in the eglu as a distraction. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatalieC Posted May 16, 2008 Author Share Posted May 16, 2008 Hooray - an undamaged egg!!! This morning Laverne had laid two eggs, one soft shelled and one small but perfectly formed egg. This is the first one she hasn't broken for weeks and I was starting to lose hope! I'm not sure what the secret is as we've tried everything but fingers crossed we'll see an improvement now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Maybe all the mustard she ate last time has put her off! Let us know if the improvement continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Bet its the mustard - that would put me off Hope she has finally got the message and has stopped for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I'm not having much luck. We had four days of non egg breaking and she started again yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I'm not having much luck. We had four days of non egg breaking and she started again yesterday. Try the mustard trick - drastic action required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatalieC Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 We seem to have sorted it with Laverne, she's laying normally (one egg a day) although the shells are quite delicate. I think the combination of mustard, golf balls, boredom busting seed ball in the eglu and getting up extra early all helped. I've also been a lot more generous with the straw in the nesting box (I had been a bit tight with it as Laverne used to flick it all over the garden). Perhaps she likes the extra padding! A friend who also has chickens has said that hers have started to break their own eggs too and she's actually caught them at it and found that a blast from a water pistol does the trick! I'm very relieved to have sorted this as I was despairing last week and thought we'd never get another egg. Stick with it, its a difficult habit to break but it can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Great news Natalie - well done on persevering and keeping sane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
