[andy46]

I have just been reading an article in practical poultry mag about egg eating (my girls are not eating eggs ) it said that you can put her into a forced moult. My question is how do you put them into a forced moult and would it upset her natural laying cycle ? thanks Andy 46

[Helenaj]

Hi

Why would you need to force a moult? When they moult they don't tend to lay - they need so much protein in order to replace their feathers that they cannot spare the extra in order to make eggs.

[BabbyAnn]

According to wikipedia

Induced molting (or forced molting) is the practice by the commercial egg industry of artificially provoking a complete flock of hens to molt simultaneously. This is usually achieved by withdrawal of feed for 7-14 days. During the molting period, the hens go out of production for a period of at least two weeks. This has the effect of allowing the hen's reproductive tracts to regress and rejuvenate. After a molt, the hen's production rate usually peaks slightly below the previous peak rate and egg quality is improved. The point of molting is thus to increase the production, egg quality, and profitability of flocks in their second or third laying seasons. Flocks that are slaughtered after a single laying season are not molted. In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states In no circumstances may birds be induced to moult by withholding feed and water

Wouldn't a chicken starve to death before the 7-14 days are over?    Or maybe it is just the higher protein feed that is withdrawn?  Whatever, the practice isn't allowed in the UK.

[Beekissed]

Egg eating is a temporary thing and usually only lasts a couple of weeks anyway, during seasons when egg shells tend to be thinner...early spring when laying is starting and in late summer when molt starts.  No need to try gimmicks or tricks to stop an "egg eater" as it's just a behavior that comes from an instinct to keep nests clean and it goes away when shells firm up. 

Been raising chickens for 40 yrs now and have never had a dedicated egg eater, though I've had many hundreds upon hundreds of chickens that will eat an egg when it breaks in front of them.  Never saw a chicken yet that would pass up a free meal like that. 

[New shoot]

Wouldn't a chicken starve to death before the 7-14 days are over?   

Quite likely!   It sounds very, very cruel and I'm not surprised the practise is banned in the UK. 

As Beekissed says, egg eating is often a crime of opportunity.  Mine pounce on any broken eggs or soft shells, but never touch a whole egg with a decent shell.  There are more humane methods to stop it anyway.  You can make sure the nest boxes are dark, get 'roll-away' nest  boxes that protect the eggs, or you can try beak bits, that let a chicken eat but not wield their beaks to such good effect.

Personally I would tolerate any amount of egg eating rather than starve my birds 

[danfinn1]

I discovered my egg eater and now quarantine her till I have collected the eggs from the others . I will continue to do this till she behaves better. So if I see her harrasing the layers then she is removed. Once release back to the garden she immediately checks the coop, naughty bird . However she presented me with a nice large egg today, with a shell on it

[Beekissed]

You mean she didn't eat it?     Not much of an egg eater, apparently.....