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

[Jillus]

I am not sure if it is one of my girls or the pesky mink that has evaded trapping but someone is eating an egg on a daily basis. For the past week I have found a part of a shell outside the laying area , quite clean but with some white still attached, but today it looked more like it had been pecked at with lots of yolk remaining.

 

With eight hens I am unsure as to who is the culprit or even if it is one of the girls. Has anyone any advice about?

A. How to identify the culprit.

B. How to stop it.

 

Any advice gratefully received. I will continue to set traps for the mink but could it be a rat? Will also set rat traps too. We have an ongoing rat problem, live in the country and the hen run is just ten feet from the stream edge.

[Snowy]

Sorry you are having problems! The only things I can think off are to get out as early and as regularly as possible to remove eggs before they are eaten; put some porcelain eggs in the nest - a couple of attempts at one of those might be enough to deter an eater!; an 'old wives' trick is to blow an egg and refill it with english mustard paste (although I have heard of some hens eating that!)

Hope some of that helps a little

[Jillus]

Many thanks, I thought I was alone on the forum! I will try the getting out earlier trick although tomorrow morning may be a challenge!

 

Happy New Year

[Jillus]

Just blown and filled an egg with Wasabi and Nigellas Chilli Jelly, that will make who ever is the egg eater eyes water! Had no mustard and the shops are all too far away and being Scotland goodness knows when they will open again after Hogmanay!

Edited December 31, 2008 by Guest

[McChook]

Just blown and filled an egg with Wasabi and Nigellas Chilli Jelly

My goodness, Nigella's Chilli Jelly? That makes MY eyes water! (and makes steam come from my ears!)

 

It should sort the problem out though...

[Snowy]

Just blown and filled an egg with Wasabi and Nigellas Chilli Jelly, that will make who ever is the egg eater eyes water! Had no mustard and the shops are all too far away and being Scotland goodness knows when they will open again after Hogmanay!

 

I did wonder about wasabi as I was typing my reply! If that stuff doesn't work nothing will!

 

Happy New Year! xx

[jill the potter]

Did someone/thing try eating the wasabi egg? I'm dying to know!!

[Jillus]

So far since the wasabi egg went in there have been no further instances of egg eating, although the wasabi egg had been moved around a bit! I have kept it there and am still waiting to see if anything else happens. I wonder now if i was wrongly accusing one of my dear old girls and in fact it was the mink or a rat!

[Snowy]

I wonder if they (whatever it is that's been eating them) can smell the difference? Also, it may be that the eaten ones broke as they were laid because of soft shells - in which case the hens will eat them up, but won't associate the contents with an unbroken egg. Either way, I hope that your problem is now sorted!