Eating Eggs

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alisonwo

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Eating Eggs
« on: October 10, 2011, 17:21 »
This has probably come up before, but eggs are deliberately getting pecked and eaten, we have rollaway nest boxes which should help, but the rollaway is not long enough and they can get their heads underneath and still peck at the eggs.  I put a rubber egg in each nest box yesterday and it was quite funny watching one of the girls peck at it this morning and her head bounce off.  So I have identified one of the girls doing it, just not sure what to do about it now, seems a shame to neck her when she is a good layer, and she may not be the only one. Any thoughts??

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hillfooter

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2011, 00:33 »
Use a normal egg box. 

The reason they peck eggs is that they are situated in non viable locations.  An egg that can't be sat on is not liable so they will attempt to "clean it up".  There's absolutely nothing wrong with your hens they are acting perfectly normally it's your poor nestboxes which are inducing this behaviour.  Necking them as you put it won't solve this problem while ever you have nestboxes which don't do their job properly.  Either make sure they do or use normal boxes.

If your hens behave badly or develep bad habits the first place you should look for the culprit is in the mirror.  You need to understand what makes them do this and eliminate the motivation. 

The same applies to feather pecking and other bad habits they are usualy induced by misguided husbandry.

HF
Truth through science.

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alisonwo

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2011, 13:21 »
I don't think that is the problem, I have used the rollaway nest boxes for over a year now and this problem has only just started happening, since one of the girls laid a soft egg and it broke, once they spot the yellow yolk they dive on it.  Incidentally there is nothing wrong with my husbandry, I look after my girls well, and killing one for eating eggs is what I have read is the only way to deal with a determined egg eater, not that I have done it before.  You are not a world expert on chickens and I found your reply insulting.

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joyfull

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2011, 13:59 »
if they are only eating the soft shelled eggs, broken eggs or those with thin shells then there is nothing to worry about, they are just getting rid of the evidence. Rollaway nest boxes are perfect so no need to change them. If the eggs are hard shells then you could try fitting a beak clip to the main culprit - this should hopefully stop them from pecking the shell. I wouldn't neck a bird for doing this unless the bird is aggressive to other birds as well.
You did right to ask as I'm sure you are not the only person to wonder about this and as you can see I think the birds are just doing what nature intended and removing any evidence (as well as getting some extra protein from the egg and calcium from the shell)  :)
Staffies are softer than you think.

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alisonwo

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2011, 14:49 »
Thank you for Joyfull, I will look out for some of these beak clips so I have some to hand just in case they are needed.

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hillfooter

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2011, 16:42 »
I'm sorry if you were offended by my reply to your question.

I don't claim to be a world expert as you think and you are free to accept or reject any advice you get.  Chx will eat even normal eggs if they are in a non viable location as well as non viable soft and broken eggs and you did say your nest box was not doing it's job as it didn't prevent access to the egg.

My advice may have been a little blunt however if you can't accept advice given as a gift and are going to take exception to it and respond petulantly perhaps you shouldn't ask for it.
Best of luck with your eat eating problem.
HF

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DD.

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2011, 16:48 »
HF - as with the gardening side of things where I'm mostly to be found, people will heed advice more readily if it's phrased in a more friendly manner. There is no need to throw the question back into the face of the poster.
Did it really tell you to do THAT on the packet?

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alisonwo

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2011, 17:10 »
Thank you DD I don't think I was responding petulantly, the response from HF was couched in insulting terms and totally unnecessary ie 'look in the mirror'.  However, the matter is at an end.

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DD.

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2011, 17:15 »
However, the matter is at an end.

Agreed and thread locked. It's outside my bounds of knowledge, but I think your question has its answers.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2011, 17:17 by DD. »

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joyfull

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Re: Eating Eggs
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2011, 18:16 »
I know this thread has been locked (thank you DD for doing this  :)) but just in case Alisonwo or anybody else needs beak clips this is where I have bought mine from in the past:-

http://www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk/products/info_apb.html

Hope this helps  :)


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