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

[AJuff]

My two new chooks have taken a liking to eggs. They sneak into the nest box and peck at them and eat them!!!! I am out at work all day so what can I do???????????

 

I am very cross as they aren't laying just yet!!! Today they ate two blue eggs and a brown egg!!!!

[Cooks]

bad girls!

[Guest]

try hanging things in the run to distract them, seed sticks, peck a blocks, corn on the cob etc etc- if that doesn't take their mind off it you could try putting a cple of ceramic eggs in the nest box. If they try and eat those they'll get a headache! If all else fails I've read about filling an empty egg shell with mustard powder and putting it in the nest box. I think that's cruel and would only use it as a total last resort though

[BeckyBoo]

How annoying Could you get a neighbour to pop in a couple of times a day to collect the eggs as soon as they are laid, just until they break the habit? Other than that and ceramic eggs like Justine said, I've only heard of blowing an egg then filling it with mustard or pepper, sounds pretty yuk to me too

 

BeckyBoo

[mostin]

Naughty girls

[AJuff]

Well so far today they haven't laid an egg between the 14 of them so no worries today!!! Here's hoping for some later . .

[Redwing]

freeloaders!

[AJuff]

freeloaders!

 

I totally agree!!!

[wombatally]

I've heard the mustard thing works, it should only take once for it to be a short sharp shock, otherwise it can be a very hard habit to break.

 

Good Luck!!

 

Eating the green ones too - that's just cruel!

[raffik]

Hi

 

Naughty girlies!

 

I read that persistent egg breaking / eating could be a sign that they are short of certain vitamins and by eating the goodness of their eggs, they are instinctivley topping these up.

 

Although it could always just be that they like their delicious eggs as much as we like to eat them!

 

Place some mustard powder or chilli powder into an egg shell and place in the box.

This is supposed to work too.

 

Do you use any Chicken tonic/spice in their water? This could help top their vitamins up also.