Eglus free to a good home

[Spottyappy]

Me again, seem to be having problem after problem recently!

Now, Pecks is eating the freshly laid eggs of herself and her mate. I can't always rescue the eggs as I work/have horses/go out etc. We have caught her in the act several times now, and are at a loss as to what to do, except wring her neck. She has straw bedding in the nest box,free ranges every day unless weather bad(which isn;t a problem now as not had rain since early may!), and has grit. There is no fresh grass, but that is down to the weather,and even using a hose has had no impact on its growth.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, because otherwise I may have to do something permanent as I can only keep 2 hens, and so Pecks will need a more permanant solution if I can;t stop her.

Thanks.

[Troy]

Ooops. That is a problem. As far as I know an egg eater is always an egg eater and the habit, I understand, can be picked up by the other hens too.

Sorry I cant help. Maybe someone else will come along and offer some advise/help.

Best of luck

Troy

[Egluntyne]

There are several suggested remedies for this:

 

i) make the nest box as dark as possible so that they can't see the eggs to break them;

 

ii) place some pot eggs in the nest box so that the culprit will hurt her beak when she tries to break the egg and will go off the idea;

 

iii) fill an egg shell with a strongs mustard, so that the unpleaant taste will put them off.

 

iv) depending on the kind of housing you have, use a rollaway nest box;

 

v)always have plenty of fresh cold water available, as egg ting increases in hot weather, allegedly.

[Spottyappy]

Thanks. I have an ordinary 1 year old eglu. I have tried the mustard and although that stops her eating that egg, it doesn;t seem to put her off the others. ...

How is best to darken the box of an eglu? I have also had to leave the door open at night now, otherwise the hens scream and wake me and my neighbours up, so that probably doesn;t help on these lighter mornings.

Where is the best place to get "pot eggs" from? Online I imagine but ob will have to wait for them to arrive.

Many thanks, hope I can stop her as we're all attached to her, but can't afford to keep an egg eating hen,sadly.