Unsecure chicken perches

[goodinparts]

Alas and alack. For about a week, there have been no eggs in the , home of my 3 ex batts...I hadn't stressed unduly as my other ladies are performing nicely, and Ivy had been laying a few softies anyway, so I was happy for her to have a break.

But yesterday I caught Holly in the act of demolishing an egg...I guess she got the idea thro experiencing one of Ivy's softies...but however she learned, learn she has...and she keeps making little dashed into the cube too, - though the combination of a determined broody and my speedy removal of eggs from there has stopped her from causing trouble there.

 

So...I need to sort this out. Frustratingly, the ex batts lay really early - so I'm unlikely to get the eggs before she does

Do mustard eggs work? Or do I have to try and isolate Holly? or what???

She is so beautiful - the most transformed of my 3 batty ladies - and I can't bear the thought of disposing of her - but I can't cope with her eating all the eggs

Any advice gratefully received. I don't have a WIR, so can't add a rollaway nest box...

[Redwing]

Making the nest box as dark as possible really helps, I'd leave the Eglu door half open during the day and also put something solid against the run so that the light is really reduced in to the Eglu

[goodinparts]

Unfortunately the go door is either open or closed...it swings rather than sliding like the cube - so I can't see how to achieve that

[Redwing]

I have classics which may be different but when I open the door half way I can let go and it stays there

 

If you aren't one for closing the eglu door at night a couple of tent pegs could hold the door in position

 

Alternatively You could make a porch out if something else - anything to darken the nestbox

 

Or make a nestbox out of a cardboard box having the entranceopening facing the back of the eglu

[Egluntyne]

It might be worth fitting a bumper bit to the culprit. It will make it harder for her to stab the egg with the pointed bit of her beak.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Don't discount a roll away nestbox. I have one of these which fitted (with some creativity) into an eglu and from what I've seen of a Go it would fit in much more easily. You would have to prevent it toppling over when the hens stand on the edges but tying it with garden wire to the roosting bars would probably work. It's very cheap so maybe worth a try?

[Purplemaniacs]

My ex batts used to do this, I tried false eggs to put them off with no luck but then they suddenly stopped Not sure if the shells improved in quality and made it harder to break but now I get Agnes's eggs rather than her and Agatha eating them

 

Interesting about making the nest darker, will try that if I have the problem again.

 

Good luck, Chrissie

[goodinparts]

Thanks...Have ordered a roll away as recommended (hadn't thought I'd have room for 1 in the go...but cheap enough to be worth a try) & will isolate her till that arrives.

Sorry to be dim, but please could someone explain how keeping the nest box dark helps? I'm happy to have a go but baffled as to how it makes things better (unless it's that "Ooops, word censored!"ody will lay til the sun rises, so I can get her out the way before her sisters get down to it?)

She looks so beautiful...was the scraggiest of my ex batts, and has feathered up so wonderfully- it somehow makes the whole thing worse.