[swiftnicks]

Hi my name is Barbara and have just joined today and would like some advice please. I have thirteen ex battery hens, all doing really well, but there is one problem. It seems lately that as soon as an egg is layed it is being eaten. I collect the eggs often during the day. I was also advised to put mustard in an egg. Surely i have not got the only chickens that like mustard as they still ate it. Would be grateful for any advice. Cheers Barbara

[joyfull]

Hello Barbara and welcome to the site.
Unfortunatly once hens develop this habit it can be difficult to break. One way is to buy or make roll away nest boxes - these can be pricey but you could do like one of our members did - Karlooben - she bought the roll away inserts and then fitted them into her own homemade boxes. Hopefully she will be along later to explain how she did it.
Have you tried replacing the eggs with pot ones? Once they realise that they can't break these eggs they may just give up - might be worth a try.

[swiftnicks]

Thanks for quick response. Seems a good idea for the roll away nest box. My husband is quite clever and could make it quite easily. Hopefully Karlooben will see this thread and give me some advice. Cheers Barbara

[Brian Green fingers]

I had this problem a few weeks back. Despite the fact that I have roll away nesting boxes, my hens usually stick their head down and scoop it back up.. doh! I couldn't single out the egg eating culprit but, what i did do was empty an egg without fully splitting the shell and popped some English mustard in. We also coated the outside of the shell and put it back in the nesting box. A couple of my chooks had a good go at it, decided they didn't like the taste and i havn't had a problem since. Worth a try!?

[beulah59]

Someone somewhere recommended these ...

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.chicken-house.co.uk%2facatalog%2fpage_not_found.html&WD=nest%20box&PN=Single_rollway_plastic_nest_box.html%23a1202#a1202

[swiftnicks]

Thanks for replys. Told Hubby about roll away nest box. He used the bottom metal shelf of computer table which has holes in it. Fixed it on a slope and eggs roll into guttering which is padded with carpet. Guttering accessed with sliding cover to stop chucks getting at them. I knew he was useful for something. Best thing did not cost a penny. Thanks for the idea. Cheers Barbara

[joyfull]

sorted 

[beulah59]

Excellent!

[Catsmuvva]

Just in case not everyone has a useful OH or a nestbox where a rollaway system could be used - when mine started eating their own eggs I put 2 rubber ones back in. This solved the problem for me - although Betty, who stopped laying for a couple of months, used to sit on them very protectively & purr proudly like she'd laid them herself... Bless her!

[argylepete]

I had this problem a while back and soon put a stop to it with rubber eggs, I must admit the devil in me smiled when I saw penguin (not my idea of a chicken name, my sons) try to break the shell!
pete