Egg Eating

[canesisters]

@ninnymary, the mustard trick seems to be the universal answer.

I suddenly went from 5-6 eggs a day to 1. I suspected an egg eater and went looking for an easy way to make a roll out nest box. The easiest one I could find was a simply modified plastic tote.

(not my boxes)
Take a large tote
Cut a door in one end
Slide a piece of plywood inside the box - on the opposite side from the door and about 2.5-3" from the bottom creating a small space about 6" from the end - attach to the sides with a few screws
Add one of those fake grass door mats for the hen to use as nesting material
Lastly, sit the nest side on a 2x4 and put the top on
The hen goes in the door, gets all comfey and lays an egg. When she gets up, it rolls under the plywood into the small space. You just lift the top to collect the eggs.

(Turned out that my problem was 3 young roos who learned that they could get access to the hens by following the hens into the nest boxes - and breaking the eggs in the process)

 

[baymule]

I like that @canesisters !! I will have to build some sort of temporary coop for the girls until I can build what I really want. Those nest boxes look easy and fast to make. I will probably make hoop coops for right now and then can sue then later for grow out pens or something. But even that is weeks down the road.

 

[ninnymary]

Cane, I'm guessing that you put that piece of plywood far enough from the back so that you can get your hand in there to pick up the egg? Was that the 6 inches?

Mary

 

[canesisters]

Yes. The ones I made were from the largest totes I could find (I have fat, heffer chickens). The nest side is probably 18-24" wide and the egg catching side is about 6" wide.

 

[bobm]

Egg eating by hens is most often caused by improper nutrition as in cases where the owner provides improperly balanced feed often lacking in calcium ( or added oyster shell ) and protein ( especially of animal source ) causing eggs that are laid to be thin shelled and break when being laid, then the hen eats the egg. Most often found in cases where the owner provides only home grown feed and /or what the chickens can find in the barnyard. Also, in these times, more often in cases where in their zeel of all "organic" food consumption they turn to local "organic" feed mills which often do not provide a well balanced diet and may be deficient especially in calcium and protein. Since chickens require large quantities of water , make sure that there is plenty of clean water available at all times. There are lots of stories going around about cures. While they may work in some cases , but not always. Once the egg eating starts it quickly spreads to the rest of the flock, so quick identification and culling of the culprit is in the best interest of all.

 

[thistlebloom]

Ain't google great?

 

[ninnymary]

Yes thistle, you can find all the answers there and just copy and paste. Too bad I don't know how to do that!

Where can I find those ceramic eggs? I don't want to order them online. I'll try Cost Plus (World Market) this weekend and will also try to get that curtain for the box.

Mary

 

[lesa]

I have found this problem doesn't always mean disaster. I have found empty and broken shells from time to time- and even caught a hen with egg on her face. I think sometimes the eggs break by accident, or the shell is too thin and the chicken removes the evidence. Never developed into an ongoing issue. Good luck!

 

[Smart Red]

Yes thistle, you can find all the answers there and just copy and paste. Too bad I don't know how to do that!

Where can I find those ceramic eggs? I don't want to order them online. I'll try Cost Plus (World Market) this weekend and will also try to get that curtain for the box.

Mary

I use wooden eggs from Michaels or Hobby Lobby. They are already a near brown egg color and seem to work well for starting my layers using nesting boxes.

 

[ninnymary]

Thanks Red, our Michaels is kind of far but we do have a craft store here. I'll check there first.

Mary