[wadz81]

my six new girls are eating one of the old girls eggs, they seem to be having one a day someone as told me to hollow one out and fill it with mustard as this will stop them. Is this normal and will it stop when the new girls start laying? Gave the girls a litter tray full of sand last night and they just stood in it and looked at me BLESS!

[Vember]

Hi wadz81

I've never had this problem so can't really say on way or the other re mustard.
Here's a couple of links that might help

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=18487.0


http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=27265.0


Sarah

[8doubles]

I had problems with an egg eating golden pheasant , never did find the culprit.
I tried the mustard powder trick and cayenne , chilli powder,tabasco sauce, it should have been hot enough to melt its beak off but no .....it loved it.
If you try it i suggest you  leave a naan bread and a half of lager as well, then search for the happiest chook with the curry breath.

[wadz81]

Thanks for advice I will try the mustard and just in case it doesn't work I've got the phone number for the local curry house and will get some home brew out! LOL

[Aunt Sally]

From what I've heard chickens don't have taste receptors for spicy food so it usually fails to stop them eating eggs 

[trinacooke]

I had some egg eating going on and used the mustard in th egg shell and all the chickens went mad over the mustard and loved it! very frustrating!

I think in my case one of my chickens lays her egg on the coop floor every morning and rather early at that so if I wasnt opening the coop door early enough they were all getting aggitated and breaking the egg once it was cracked and open they were eating it!!    I now get the coop open early and the egg is then ok! the others lay in the nest boxes and are never touched!

could it be something like this? in your case just a thought 

Trina

[richyrich7]

I tried the mustard thing years ago seemed to work ok for me, I also tried it when we had a spot of vent pecking smeered it on victims bum  poor thing I hope it was not too hot her !!!
If their taking it out of the nest box try hanging some hessian strips over the front like curtains, out of sight out of mind with chooks   

[wadz81]

Thanks for all the advice I have seen in KG mag last night about making the nest box dark because they like to see what they're eating so I will try that first!

[Chookster]

I heard the mustard thing too.  Also - what about leaving a false egg - would that help if it's left there for a few days.  If it's hard the culprit may give up??  That and get there early!