2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[FlyingRamses]

Hi

 

I just rescued a couple of chickens from a friend who needed to get rid of them quicky as she has been posted to the Middle East.

 

The hens are in super condition and very friendly. At present they are in their own section in my run close to but not in direct contact with my 5 other hens.

 

This morning we found one of the hens eating her freshly laid egs with the other already devoured. Not sure if it is one hen or both of the new hens doing this.

 

I understand this can be difficult to resolve but I can't put the hens together until this is sorted or they could damage/eat all the eggs before we get home.

 

Any advice as to how to deal with this would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

FR

[Olly]

Oh dear - it can be tricky once they've developed a habit for this. Obvious thing to do is remove the eggs as soon as possible after they are laid, but that is easier said than done and doesn't always break the bad habit.

 

The best-known recommendation seem to be removing an egg, 'blowing' the contents out (by making a small hole in one end and a pin-hole in the other) and filling it with mustard or something similar and then replacing it, the idea being that the hen will try it, get a nasty shock and give up on it. I don't know how many times you have to do this, though. The other option is to put a china or pot egg in the nesting-box, and the theory is that the hen will get fed up of bashing her beak on it and give up! I've never had to deal with this, though - someone else may come along with actual experience.

 

The only time mine have eaten eggs is when they are softies - were these hard-shelled eggs? You may have an irredeemable sinner on your hands in that case!

[Heidi-Hi]

Hi, my SIL had the same problem, so I made her 4 mustard eggs. I blew the eggs, and then made one of the holes big enough to take the tip of a syringe. Fill it up with strong mustard and squirt into the eggs. It can get messy! 4 Eggs sorted her problem out. Good luck!

[Krysia]

We had the problem a few years ago, we put a cracked egg in the nesting box with a LOT of chilli powder. 2 eggs later and the problem was sorted! they learn very quickly!

[Christian]

If the above suggestions don't work, you could try making the nesting area as dark as possible. Try draping a dark cloth over the entrance to the coop and that can help.

 

A roll away nest box is another ideal if that doesn't work......

[Lavenders_Blue]

I had just come onto this forum to post about exactly the same problem - so I'll add my post on here rather than start a new thread.

 

After 10 months of happy egg laying, one of my girls suddenly seems to have developed an egg-eating habit. In the last few days, it would appear.

 

I caught Dorothy tucking into an egg in the nest box a few days ago, and quickly removed the rest of it so she couldn't finish it. It turned out not to be her own egg as she then promptly settled down on the nest to lay an egg. Bella then came in to lay her egg and turfed Dorothy out, so thankfully it seems she didn't get the chance to eat her egg on that occasion.

 

Yesterday, I had only two eggs (from 5 hens) which I thought unusual, but didn't give it too much thought.

 

Today, Dorothy was definitely sat on the nest but when I just went to check for eggs - nothing! Except a perfect nest shaped hollow in the shavings She's clearly eaten this egg. Oddly though, there's not a trace of it left, not even any wet wood shavings

 

Could she be doing it because she is both moulting and laying and needs the extra protein? She has never broken and eaten an egg before, not even a softie.

 

So - are mustard eggs the way forward?

Do I need to fill them completely with mustard?

Or could I just tape her beak shut whilst she is in the nest?!

[Heidi-Hi]

I did fill them up, but in hindsight I suppose it is not really necessary, I'm sure half full would do the trick!

[Lavenders_Blue]

Thanks Heidi, off to try some egg blowing right now!