[Julias hens]

 I have found broken eggs with peck marks for the last few days, I have been trying to collect as they lay but had to go out yesterday and on my return 4 eggs had been destroyed!  How do I find out the culprit and will the others be joining in?  There are 3 barnvelders, 2 buff orpingtons and 2 browns that it could be.  They have plenty of food and grazing free range so please advise me.........

Know I have seen messages on this before but how would I search for them as cant remember the outcomes?

[shetan]

not sure how to find the culprit but here are some ideas to help them stop...

put some pot eggs in the nest box and around the run/area where they spend time. the culprits will peck at the hard 'eggs' and hopefully will get bored and stop.

make your nesting area deeper with whatever you use in them so that when the hen lays, hopefully it will sink down away from their sight and make your nest box as dark as possible - hens can't really see well in the dark so this should help.

if you can, try to collect the eggs as soon as possible although that's hard when you're working.

if all else fails, you may need to invest in roll away nest boxes.

we had egg eating so bad, they would collect round the girl laying and start pecking while she was still laying the blooming thing! the pot eggs worked for us.

best of luck.

[Julias hens]

Ok have currently moved out the 3 barnvelder girls - I have a feeling it's one or all of them.  Will monitor closely but the false eggs sound a good plan.  Wont be able to get them for a few days but will try the deeper bedding and darkening nest box.  Many thanks for your advice

[tstainesmoore]

easy way to find out whos breaking the eggs is to seperate th ebirds into different runs and place an egg in each and see which one(s) is doing the damage, but once the bird has tasted egg there is not much you can do but, i have blown a couple of eggs and filled them with mustard which theye do not like and since they eat that they have never touched the eggs again. hope this helps

[Gobsheen]

I've used rollaway nest box inserts.  At £4 each, they seemed like a no brainer to me.  And now that I've owned chickens for a whole 2 days, I can vouch for them!  I just built a simple shelf with a cut-out for each insert to sit into.....easy as that.  

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Rollaway_Nest_Box_Inserts.html#a236

Our chickens haven't had a chance to eat any eggs or poo on them because they've quickly rolled away once she stands up.  

The fake egg & mustard ideas sound good to get them to stop going for the eggs now that they have the taste, but if they don't get near them at all then there will never be a repeat.

Aren't I the big expert all of a sudden?!!!  

[Julias hens]

Well not the barnvelders today but the others left behind managed to get one egg, I fear I may have to go the roll away plan.  Shall check it out.  It is amazing how my serene hen  keeping has become a battleground!!! Thanks for thoughts

[Julias hens]

well resorted to filling a blown egg with mustard (but only had french!!!)  They certainly pecked and ate quite a bit - either it was too mild or they have a wide taste palate!!!   Anyway collected eggs today left for a good few hours with no holes  -   please let this be the answer.............

[shetan]

hopefully you've solved it....but just so you know - chickens don't have a lot of taste buds. hopefully the mustard will sting more on its way out if it didn't do the job on the way in!