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

[kevtheplumber]

right I have started letting me 3 free range together after one was being attacked, they are still slpeeping as 2 in the eglu and one naughty one in a cat box, The bullied one laid her first egg in 4 months the other day which they both attacked like there was no tommorow, is this likely to continue and if so how do you stop it, I actually watched her pop it out in amazement, being the 1st one she had laid for so long only to see them eat it

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Yes, it is likely to continue if they get a taste for it . You need to nip that in the bud if you can. There are a few methods of breaking the habit: pot eggs (so they hurt their beaks when they peck them ), mustard in an egg shell and last resort, a roll away nestbox.

[Porkypie]

Was the shell soft? One of mine has a tendancy to lay these in the open and all three devour them They have never gone for the ones with proper shells laid in the nest box.

 

If she laid in nest box is it nice and dark in there?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

True, it does tend to be soft ones they go for. I was sure mine were eating the eggs so upped the limestone flour so the eggs were more likely to be hard.

[kevtheplumber]

no egg looked hard, think were on the verge of adding 3 chickens to the feezer to be honest, had enough now, everyone we have spoke to has said get rid and start again with your own chickens, not having them from the start we have no idea of their past. Shame really because they are lovely birds, some people might not like this but which is the preferred method of killing chickens on here, and does anyone have any advise, got a book by Hugh Fernley Whittingstall on keeping livestock and his methods of cutting the neck seem quick and easy, my grandad said about wringing the neck, he used to do it a lot with rabbits so might get him to give me a hand, sorry if this upsets anyone but it seems the best way forward for my chicken keeping

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That seems a bit drastic . Remind me, what are the problems you're having? (Sorry, I can't recall if there's something else other than the egg being eaten that you've posted about here.)

[kevtheplumber]

bullying and non egg laying, plus egg eating

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I can sympathise, I've had all those things .

 

Things I've tried are a roll away nestbox, pot eggs, extra calcium, buying extra hens ( ), and separation. I've also got a bumper bit up my sleeve .

 

I've cracked the egg eating ( ), the bullying is under control and the new girls are laying beautifully .

 

I hope this gives you hope!

[kevtheplumber]

done seperation and the bullying is still there when they free range, so any ideas on killing?