4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[mrs chook]

Hi

 

I wrote the other day, and got great help about trying to stop my girls eating the eggs. We have a rubber egg in situ and yesterday my eldest son Jacob (aka The Chicken Whisperer) managed to beat them to the freshly laid prize.

 

My main layer of the mo, bertha, is fine. I just saw her moving the fake egg under her and tidying up the shredded paper I use for their laying area, putting it into the nest. Would the imposter egg make her go broody????

 

I have had them since July 06 and neither have gone broody and have both only moulted the minimal amount:shock: .

 

Any eggsperts?

[magamamma]

Most definately sounds as though bertha will go broody and is already starting.

No ideas about your chickens eating the eggs, I always found that when the eggs were laid perfectly (i e no cracks) they didn't eat them but if one cracks from a chicken standing on it or weak shells then i find that mine do. maybe give them some grit in their food or cruhed snail shells or even the egg shells. may help to make the shells stronger if it is them standing on them to lay.

just an idea??

maggie p

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Do you give them limestone flour? That might make the shells harder.

 

That does sound like broody behaviour - does she puff herself up and growl at you if you try to lift her off the nest?

[mrs chook]

She's been out all day as normal now I have got some limestone flour and have started introducing it to food as well as grit which they don't seem to bother with v much. They do freerange tho.

 

I'll need a sledgehammer to crack the eggs soon

 

I think maybe bertha was just being houseproud

 

I have removed rubber egg for now and will see what tomorrow brings. In the meantime, I am still waiting for my delivery from omlet of a run exntension - due today, been in all day waiting, two eager sons waiting to help fix it together too.

[Christian]

I often go away for a couple of nights with work and return to a nest full of eggs (well sometimes - 2 of the 5 aren't laying ).

 

Not an ideal situation, but having eggs on the nest has not encouraged mine to go broody - yet!

 

I often leave a ping pong ball in the nest to help Elsbeth remember where to lay

 

Hopefully the limestone flour will make the shells extra tough and stop the egg eating. Fingers crossed for you.