Solitary chicken - need advice

[alion]

At Christmas/new year we left our chickens for 2 weeks in the care of our neighbours. For whatever reason, they developed an egg eating habit in this time. I've spent all year trying to get them out of it. These forums have been amazing and I've got all my ideas here, but everything had failed for us.

 

I've spent mornings watching them like a hawk, diving in the moment one of them emerges from the house, but most the time they're quicker and the egg's gone in moments.

 

Rubber and ceramic eggs don't bother them.

 

They have completely demolished mustard and chili filled eggs. Even the chili that makes us cry if we use more than a sprinkling in a meal.

 

I've bought them a roll away nesting box. We get up at 5, lock them out of their house and one of them will now lay in this box. Brilliant. We got an egg a day for a week. Until they worked out how to get their heads into the roll away tray and now every morning I collect an empty shell.

 

I've supplemented their food, they have entertainment and snacks in their run, they free range for 4-6 hours most days, I really don't know what else we can do and my searches on the forums seem to stop at the roll away nesting box. Is there anything else? I miss the delicious eggs.

 

Thanks in advance

[clucker1]

How old are your chickens? Have you tried cod liver oil? Some of my chickens have eaten eggs until I give them cod liver oil along with calcium supplement. When I forget about the cod liver oil, they start up again

[alion]

They're both just over 2. I give them poultry spice and plenty of grit, but will try cod liver oil. Does it go in the food or water? Thank you

[clucker1]

I mix a splodge of cod liver oil in with natural yogurt, 2 to 3 times a week and they gobble it down! My chickens aren't fussy, they think spilt pellets are treats good luck

[Alis girls]

I feel your pain - I have resorted to bumpa bit for my elderly only hen and I have found that the fetching black bin liner cut into a curtain and taped with gaffer tape to the door of Eglu (I have a WIR) has stopped her seeing the eggs and we have had 1 a day for a while now. I feel bad but she can eat and drink and demolish meal worms by the bag full and comes for a cuddle. If and when I get new girls I will do the same if I have a problem.

[Egluntyne]

Bumps bits might help.

[Alis girls]

The other alternative sometimes suggested was culling but shes healthy and affectionate and also a devious diva but I am found of her.I hope you find something which works. It is very upsetting when others are getting lovely eggs and you arent.

[alion]

Oh wow the bumpa bits look scary! Still, would be worth it to break the habit. OH has suggested a curtain over the egg tray on the roll away nesting box so will try that tonight first.

 

Thank you for your advice. I go back to work next week after maternity leave and I'm very aware I won't be able to watch them so carefully so our habit breaking techniques will have to change.

[The Dogmother]

One trick which worked for me was to blow the egg, then mix up the contents with Nettex's Anti-feather Pecking Spray, and inject it back in an eal up the holes with a bit of clear tape - they didn't like that one bit

[LHawley88]

Recently, one of my hens laid an egg outside in the run... by the time i'd noticed it, one of the other girls had pecked it open... she doesn't do this if an egg is left inside in a nesting box (they lay early to mid afternoon, and when i'm working the eggs aren't collected until 5pm!)

We shooed her away and removed what remained, but i don't know why she did it!

She isn't laying her own eggs yet, so maybe a bit of jealousy? Do you know if all your chooks are laying?

[alion]

They're both laying and they share the eggs. One is laying in the roll away nesting box, the other in the run. When they layed in the eglu they'd both eat the eggs. I've given up on the one who lays in the run, but I'm trying to get the end from the other.

 

The curtain may have worked a bit this morning - the egg was pecked but not fully consumed. I wonder if it got pecked before it rolled away and the curtain actually did work...

[alion]

We got an egg this morning! All in one piece!

 

I've written down all the excellent advice as they've lulled me into a false sense of security before but they seemed unaware the egg was there now it's hidden. If this doesn't work then I'll be hitting the other ideas straight away. Thank you, I felt like I had no more options but I have a whole "Ooops, word censored!"nal of things to try now. You are all stars

[Alis girls]

great news. I hope this is the beginning of good egg shaped things. Someone else on here suggested cutting up a car mat to be like a curtain. I put this to OH who wasnt impressed as he'd just got new ones, so we have a garden bin liner stuck on the Eglu. Looks very plush but hey needs must.

[alion]

2 eggs now in 4 days. The big test will be if we get any when I go back to work as they lay mid morning. I've been collecting them still bum-warm where I can, wonder if they'll last all day...

[Alis girls]

Great news - hope all is well next week - keep us posted.