Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Guest]

I thought my egg tally had dropped now it turns at at least one hen is eating the eggs.

 

I have 9 hens in the cube with WIR.

 

Over the long weekend I have tried collecting eggs as soon as they are laid (although they still managed to get at last 2 eggs yesterday) but obviously once back at work that is not possible.

 

I have tried the usual tricks such as ceramic/rubber eggs, mustard filled eggs, booting all hens into the garden and just allowing the ones desperate to lay into the house.

 

The only thing I can think of is to put the two suspects into the "hospital" cage first thing in the morning, the flaw in this plan is they will probably kick off and make a lot of noise. If I kept it up for a week do you think it would break the habit.

 

I know what commercial hen keepers would do.

[Beantree]

You may find that fitting a Bumpa Bit might prevent them from being able to break the egg. So if you can identify the culprit(s) it has to be worth a try. Despatch may be the only viable option as I'm sure you realise Mrs B. Problem is if they all start! We have usually succeeded with pot eggs and only had to despatch one who laid her egg and immediately ate it.

[Space Chick]

Isolating can work to break the habit, but it is not a guarantee.

 

I had a dreadful egg eater and even isolation didn't work, she passed away (natural causes) earlier this year and my egg count went up!

 

Egg eating can be to compensate for a nutritional deficiency though.... Are they getting plenty of grit with oyster shell in? As a calcium deficit can encourage them to egg eat (although sometimes it is just bad habit). May be worth trying some cod liver oil and calcium powder to their pellets to boost just in case.

[clucker1]

My egg eater (whichever it is out of 2 of them!) means the whole flock gets yummy natural yogurt at least once a week along with cod liver oil to help absorb the calcium. This so far has always worked. Whenever I forget the lashings of yogurt/oil it starts up again but quickly resolved thereafter. Good luck.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies, the hen is purely eating the eggs out of bad habit, tried all the usual tricks but she is getting worse and one of her buddies is starting to join in (I can nip hen twos bad habit in the bud easily enough if Elvira is not around).

 

My friend has offered Elvira a home. My friend keeps hens but works from home so can collect eggs promptly so is hoping to break the habit that way. Friend has a separate coop and run next to her big run.

 

The plan is to get a couple of pullets who are not yet in lay to keep naughty Elvira company, this way there is only the one egg a day to collect, hopefully the habit should be broken before the new birds start laying. If the habit is not broken then naughty Elvira will be dispatched but at least this way she will be given a second chance.

 

Personally I think my friend is just taking Elvira on so she can get some pullets myself, morehens disease strikes again.

[redbug]

Hope Elviera learns not to eat eggs. Naughty girl!!

It is very good that your friend can give Elviera a second chance

[Guest]

Elvira has settled really well into her new home, my friend is enchanted with her. So far my friend has got to the eggs before Elvira so fingers crossed they can break the habit

[Redwing]

One of the biggest causes of egg eating is a nest box that is too light. Making it darker could solve the problem completely