| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Jeanna |
Posted - Feb 05 2009 : 07:37:24 AM
Hi gals, Hope someone can help me with this. I have a chicken, or at least I think it is just one, eating eggs. I have read somethings online and of course the first thing it says to do is to watch and figure out which one is doing it. That is a good idea however the way my chicken coop is this is not possible. Does any one have any experience with this? Is there a way to break the habit? I thought about isolating them one or two at a time and figuring it out that way. The only thing I worry about with doing this is that by changing their atmosphere and routine that they will stop laying. I am finally getting eggs every day and I don't want to mess that up. I am checking eggs twice a day. In the mornings and evenings. I hear them start laying every morning before daylight and by the time I go to check them--somewhere about 8am there is an egg or two gone. Now in the evenings there is usually no eaten eggs. So I know when it is happening. Oh and one last thing, I feed them laying crumbles, a small amount of corn, leftover veggies, bread, rice, etc. I also mix in a little oyster shells from time to time for shell strength.
I know this is long and rambling but I really would like to put a stop to this. Anyway, thanks so much for any and all help.
Jeanna
Jeanna
Farmgirl Sister #41
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Jeanna |
Posted - Feb 05 2009 : 12:53:06 PM
Thanks Lillian. Unfortunately I do not have a rooster. I think I am going to try a couple of things I found online. One is to take one of the eggs and crack it open and fill it with about 2 tsp of pepper and then put it back in the coup. The other one I found was to make a hole in one end of an egg, remove the egg by scrambling it and letting it leak out then you fill the egg with dish soap and glue a piece of shell over the hole. Then put it back in the coup, marking it somehow. They say you may have to do either a few times but once the egg eater gets a hold of the pepper or soap they will associate the taste with eggs and no longer want them. I will let you know how things go.
Jeanna
Farmgirl Sister #41
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Feb 05 2009 : 07:52:21 AM
I just started having this problem and have done everything to find the offender. We even keep golfballs in the nest to help break the habit. After months of going out every few hours to "save" the eggs from the egg eater I finally found the culprit- It is the Rooster! So no amount of Oyster shell is going to help him! I have been told once a egg eater always an egg eater. Hope someone has a better answer for you. I would make sure they have oyster shell mixed in their food everytime you feed. Our girls free range and get alot of veggies too, we have found that their shell are alot thinner now that they are getting older (almost 2yo).
Lillian |
|
|
