How to stop Egg eating Chicken???

[TomSeller]

hire a chicken analyst and get to the root of the problem. the poor bird probably had a traumatic experience while escaping the egg the first time and has been suffering with demons ever since. Have some compassion

I agree, enough people question the chicken's motives for crossing the road, now this. The chicken analyst can also look for genocidal tendencies caused from roosting under pallets while young

 

[MH8675309]

You might try de -beaking. You grind off about an eight of an inch or so off the tip of the beak so that the beak is blunted (flat) instead of pointed. Go easy - too much and they'll bleed. This is done to prevent them from pecking each other up also. There is a de beaking tool you can buy - for a few dollars more. It sounds mean but is done for the reasons mentioned.

 

[bumperm]

17 HMR.

You beat me to that one :c)

Or an exploding egg w/vibration fuse - - check with Bill Ayers for instructions

 

[kidr]

Curious, when the egg eats the chicken where does the next egg come from?

It went right over their heads EGGon.

 

[Jstpssng]

It went right over their heads EGGon.

I saw it but couldn't think of a response which wouldn't leave me with egg on my face.

 

[bja105]

The poster that said more nest boxes and more frequent gathering has it right. Two, three, or four hens all try to be in the nest at once, and an egg gets broken. Most any chicken will eat a broken egg. Some few birds will learn to break eggs on purpose, which is hard to cure.

Golf balls in the nest helps. If they peck a golf ball, it hurts. Chickens can't tell the difference between a golf ball and an egg. The golf ball also encourages newly laying pullets to lay in the box, instead of the coop or yard.

 

[schmism]

Heck other than catching the old girl yellow beaked, how do I even catch the perp?

You dont, you solve the problem of why they are eating the eggs.

Generally they are craving calcium which the shell is made up of. They could also be low on protein if your not feeding a standard 16% protein layer feed.

You should always have oyster shell free feed as well as grit. I use rabbit feeders with the screened bottoms as the oyster shell has a tendancy to build up left over "dust" without it.

You should have free access layer feed, hanging feeder works best.

If your not feeding either of the above I suggest moving to a all flock 18% feed (free feed) for at least a bag then back to your choice 16% layer.

Source: I've run a flock of ~50 free range chickens for egg sales for the past 3 years. (smaller number for longer than that)

 

[OldMcDonald]

Mossflowerwoods, You have had a couple of replies about proper feeding for good shell quality, and debeaking. I have copied below two paragraphs from some previous writing of mine that elaborates on these posts:-

I have heard of people feeding their stock some weird and wonderful things, yoghurt being one that regularly comes around. Why this should ever have come into being is a mystery to me because one thing I am certain that hens will not take in nature is milk, and I cannot accept that the bacteria in a live culture that might benefit a mammal, can do any good to a species not adapted to use such organisms. Grit, either soluble or insoluble comes into the same category. Extra calcium can give you more problems than it is intended to solve. Upsetting the calciumhosphorus ratio as formulated by the makers of your layers feed will affect the composition of the egg shell. Depending on the excess amount taken by the hen, this results in shells of poor quality, often thin or soft (the very reason that oyster shell or limestone is fed in the first instance by those who use it) and in extreme cases can lead to morbidity and death. The label, or other information printed on the feed bag, should tell you whether you need to feed grit. If it does not tell you, then ask the manufacturer (not the person who supplies it to you) before giving your birds any extra calcium. A properly formulated layers ration should supply sufficient calcium to meet all the requirements of a hen in full production. Free ranging poultry should be able to pick up sufficient insoluble grinding material for their gizzards, so again I see no point in buying the stuff. Permanently housed hens that are fed whole grain are an exception and will need insoluble grit for the grinding stones in the gizzard.
..........
From time to time you might meet with an egg-eating problem. If the hens are properly and adequately fed this should be an extremely rare occurrence. If an egg is accidentally broken then it will be greedily devoured in its entirety, but if you produce eggs with good shell quality as a result of your good management of your flock, then it takes a very determined hen to break the shell. If you find a number of eggs have been eaten and you are certain it is the hens purposely breaking the shells, and not some other cause, then clipping the top mandible of their beaks removes their tool for breaking the eggs. As with your own finger and toenails you will be able to see how much can be cut without causing injury to the bird. It is common for many hatcheries to do this job soon after the chicks are hatched, except they tend to go a bit further and the mandible never grows back properly.

.............

NOTE: Mfw, It is probably easiest for you to tip the beaks of all the hens rather than spend further time trying to identify the culprit(s). Human nail clippers do the job adequately.

Colon p should replace the funny face.

 

[Jstpssng]

Mossflowerwoods, You have had a couple of replies about proper feeding for good shell quality, and debeaking. I have copied below two paragraphs from some previous writing of mine that elaborates on these posts:-

I have heard of people feeding their stock some weird and wonderful things, yoghurt being one that regularly comes around. Why this should ever have come into being is a mystery to me because one thing I am certain that hens will not take in nature is milk, and I cannot accept that the bacteria in a live culture that might benefit a mammal, can do any good to a species not adapted to use such organisms. Grit, either soluble or insoluble comes into the same category. Extra calcium can give you more problems than it is intended to solve. Upsetting the calciumhosphorus ratio as formulated by the makers of your layers feed will affect the composition of the egg shell. Depending on the excess amount taken by the hen, this results in shells of poor quality, often thin or soft (the very reason that oyster shell or limestone is fed in the first instance by those who use it) and in extreme cases can lead to morbidity and death. The label, or other information printed on the feed bag, should tell you whether you need to feed grit. If it does not tell you, then ask the manufacturer (not the person who supplies it to you) before giving your birds any extra calcium. A properly formulated layers ration should supply sufficient calcium to meet all the requirements of a hen in full production. Free ranging poultry should be able to pick up sufficient insoluble grinding material for their gizzards, so again I see no point in buying the stuff. Permanently housed hens that are fed whole grain are an exception and will need insoluble grit for the grinding stones in the gizzard.
..........
From time to time you might meet with an egg-eating problem. If the hens are properly and adequately fed this should be an extremely rare occurrence. If an egg is accidentally broken then it will be greedily devoured in its entirety, but if you produce eggs with good shell quality as a result of your good management of your flock, then it takes a very determined hen to break the shell. If you find a number of eggs have been eaten and you are certain it is the hens purposely breaking the shells, and not some other cause, then clipping the top mandible of their beaks removes their tool for breaking the eggs. As with your own finger and toenails you will be able to see how much can be cut without causing injury to the bird. It is common for many hatcheries to do this job soon after the chicks are hatched, except they tend to go a bit further and the mandible never grows back properly.

.............

NOTE: Mfw, It is probably easiest for you to tip the beaks of all the hens rather than spend further time trying to identify the culprit(s). Human nail clippers do the job adequately.

Colon p should replace the funny face.

Good info, although results may differ. I just started raising them a few years ago as a hobby, so don't have your experience and appreciate your input.

PS; anybody who takes exception to a minor syntax error probably won't comprehensively read what you said anyways...

 

[RobertBrown]

Chicken Tacos





Keep making chicken tacos (delicious and nutritious) until the eggs stop getting eaten....then get more chickens, or just buy eggs.





Hope this helps

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Gents,

I LOVED the humor!

I had a couple very busy days and did not get back here to respond, sorry. I did add oyster shell, but I think they are ignoring it. I think the situation is still related to the snakes. they keep moving to new "nesting" areas, and they will not cooperate and use designated "nesting boxes".

Honestly I think the 2 eggs I've lost to "egg eating chickens" were eggs that broke or a snake broke, or ???? Seismic activity broke them maybe???

Anyway, I've not lost an egg to "egg eating chickens" since middle of last week.

Seems to me that means you guys already fixed this issue!

Be well,
David

 

[OldMcDonald]

Mfw, Most eggs will be laid reasonably soon after daybreak (or "lights on") say 4 hours and virtually all within 7 hours. It is uncommon to have an egg laid later in the day, although it does happen. Keep them penned for that first 4 or 5 hours and they will lay in the pen - usually all in the nest boxes. With lighting in the winter, it is best to have the lights come on early enough that the hens have their full allocation (I like 16hrs on a commercial scale) and go to roost naturally. That way a morning collection gets maybe 90 to 95% of your daily eggs and a quick check in early afternoon means none are left in the boxes to freeze overnight and crack - then thaw out and make a mess as soon as the first hen warms it up.

 

[lockhaven]

Gents,

I LOVED the humor!

I had a couple very busy days and did not get back here to respond, sorry. I did add oyster shell, but I think they are ignoring it. I think the situation is still related to the snakes. they keep moving to new "nesting" areas, and they will not cooperate and use designated "nesting boxes".

Honestly I think the 2 eggs I've lost to "egg eating chickens" were eggs that broke or a snake broke, or ???? Seismic activity broke them maybe???

Anyway, I've not lost an egg to "egg eating chickens" since middle of last week.

Seems to me that means you guys already fixed this issue!

Be well,
David

now about the apology hmmmmmmmmmm falsely accused of cannibalism. Poor creatures were tried and convicted by some mentioning "chicken and dumplings" "meeting the HMR17" "Chicken soup" horrible now some even want incarceration of the inocent birds. despicable

 

[MossflowerWoods]

now about the apology hmmmmmmmmmm falsely accused of cannibalism. Poor creatures were tried and convicted by some mentioning "chicken and dumplings" "meeting the HMR17" "Chicken soup" horrible now some even want incarceration of the inocent birds. despicable

HEY NOW!

The cannibalism was real, those eggs were eaten by their MOTHERS!

I don't have an HMR17 yet...

My chickens do not cooperate at all...

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Mfw, Most eggs will be laid reasonably soon after daybreak (or "lights on") say 4 hours and virtually all within 7 hours. It is uncommon to have an egg laid later in the day, although it does happen. Keep them penned for that first 4 or 5 hours and they will lay in the pen - usually all in the nest boxes. With lighting in the winter, it is best to have the lights come on early enough that the hens have their full allocation (I like 16hrs on a commercial scale) and go to roost naturally. That way a morning collection gets maybe 90 to 95% of your daily eggs and a quick check in early afternoon means none are left in the boxes to freeze overnight and crack - then thaw out and make a mess as soon as the first hen warms it up.

Inland Portugal sounds nice... On my submarine I pulled into Lisbon and also visited a small town on the coast (where we drank too much "puss in boots" rose'... But that was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away...

My chickens do not cooperate. I just went out and gathered 2 freshly laid eggs at 3pm local. I only got one duck egg this morning at 6am when I fed them.

I have no lights, I do it all natural.

I have a dirt floored former woodshed I converted in a weekend due to predation by foxes (the threads are all here in the past).

I am down to 10 full size hens, one bantam hen, one bantam rooster, 4 ducks and 3 drakes.

Thanks,

David