[Nickchick]

Right  - where to start :blink:  We have had trouble with our two ex-batts eating their eggs   We haven't had an egg for ages now.  I bought a couple of rubber eggs to try and stop them but it hasn't worked.  Yesterday when I came home for lunch I checked the nest box and again 2 eaten eggs   I went to the cupboard and got out french mustard, english mustard powder and cayenne pepper and mixed it up and added water to enable me to inject it into blown eggs.  I placed one in the nest box.  It was still intact this morning. 

Anyway, my OH came home at 4.30 today and gave both chucks some corn and they were both fine.  I came home at 5pm and checked them.  The mustard egg had been eaten and one of the chucks who was fine 1/2 an hour earlier was huddled at the back of the run and then promptly took herself off to bed

Has my mixture of mustard and cayenne done her some real damage?  Will she recover or have I poisoned her

The mustard egg was my only option as set up not suitable for 'roll away nest boxes'

Any advise greatly appreciated

[karlooben]

umm u may very well of made her ill , the best thing to do is make sure she gets plenty of water and try an wash it out of her  the mustard on its own would of done just as well , if she doesnt pick up then i suggest a trip to the vet . some birds do eat the eggs its annying but its just one of those things that u have to put up with mine ate the eggs and i have tried all methods of nest boxes , i did manage to make my own roll away boxes but i have takn them away an now i get maybe 1 or 2 broken eggs a month .

[dizzylizzie]

Wouldnt have thought you would have killed her, but she will be feeling quite ill. Just make sure you collect the eggs pronto, leave the rubber eggs or ceramic eggs, and make sure you leave water with the hen tonight.....i wouldnt like to be poop picking in your coop tomorrow

[Sarah Mitchell]

Hi

I was wondering as you don't say anything in your post, but are you sure it's the hens eating their eggs and not rats (yuk)... or crows...

Hope your chook is OK now

Sarah :-)

[hendreary]

So how is she today?

[Nickchick]

She's alive   When I got up this morning she was back to her normal perky self (thank goodness). 

In reply to Sarah I am sure it is her who is eating the eggs as she has really yellow nostrils and eggy feet

Nichola x

PS I am not going to give them any more mustard/cayenne eggs - instead I am going to feed them to the OH mmwaahhhh

[traacyken]

gees what a greedy devil, must have a fancy for spicy food!mine wont even eat carrots thank god shes well youd think even a mouthfull would set the mouth burning

[Aunt Sally]

I believe chickens can't taste hot or spicy things.  That's why she scoffed the mustard and chilly 

[8doubles]

I tried this many years ago with egg eating pheasants, it didn`t work , they thought curry night was a special treat.

[karlooben]

I tried this many years ago with egg eating pheasants, it didn`t work , they thought curry night was a special treat.

:lol:isnt that what some humans think as well .