Egg eating

[Polly Fouracre]

I opened up the hen house this morning and no hens appeared! Opened up the roof and found the two devils finishing off an egg!!
Common sense and the books tell me to wring their necks and get new hens but they are my girls and I am fond of them.
Has anyone ever tried the mustard and chillie in a blown egg and did it work?

[Bephlam]

The naughty little devils!!

On a serious note though, I've heard it's very difficult to discourage them egg eating once they start!

I have no words of wisdom...but I'm sure you'll get it sorted soon enough!

Perhaps explain to them that if they insist on eating the eggs, you'll have to eat them.

[Johnny Appleseed]

It is difficult to discourage once they start this behaviour. You could try removing the eggs more often and making sure they have plenty of oyster shell to peck at. If they have plenty to occupy them - scratching areas / dustbaths - they can forget to eat the just laid eggs. Once it becomes a habit it is hard to break.

[ChrisB]

Yes, I've tried the hot egg trick. I bought the HOTTEST chilli sauce possible, did it work, nope.

The only thing that worked was to make rollaway nest boxes so the eggs disappeared before they had a chance to get at them.

[davefromthechipie]

I don't believe its always bad news I have seen mine eat soft eggs/ broken before but i think in some cases they do it to stop/discourage pests like rats , birds coming into the nest. Iv not yet seen any mass eating of my eggs thank god . I hope this is the case with you too polly .keep us posted on how it turns out and any way you find to fix this problem if it is a egg eating chicken monster eating chicken egg eater that is

[MaureenHall]

Mine will eat the occasional "softie" of very thin shelled eggs, but I put a false (ceramic) egg in the nest box, and after a few days of pecking in vain it seems to have stopped. Though I do keep going out at regular intervals throughout the morning to collect any newly laid ones, don't think I'd trust them 100% if I left any lying around
I like the idea of sloping next boxes so they roll away, might have to incorporate that design in the next shed/coop/house

[Polly Fouracre]

Has anyone an idea of how to make a roll-away nesting box? I've put some rubber eggs in so maybe that will stop them. They are old hens so don't lay too often or regularly. As to keeping them interested, they have the freedom of the garden but I will get them some oyster shell grit.

[Little Lottie]

I have had the same problem. The advice was to get rid of the culprit as once they start they will not stop. I am reluctant to do this as the girls are all ex bats so It seems more cruel to do the deed. I recently lost one of my hens and secretly hoped that she was the one. Unfortunately not as the egg eating has continued. I just think that I can live with 1 egg less per day unless of course they all get eaten........then that will be a different story!

[Hilary B]

The easiest 'rollaway' nestbox has 2 shallowly sloping 'ramps', one above the other and sloping in opposite directions. The lower one is the base of the nestbox. The gap between them (at its narrowest) is just bigger than an egg, and the same size gap between the low end of the top one and the wall of the nestbox. The snag is that you can't use nesting material with them....

[Polly Fouracre]

Thank you Hilary B. I will try to make one and hopefully I will have an egg or two a week!
Failing that I will have to buy eggs as, though I can dispatch chickens for the table, chopping my girls' heads off would be like killing a puppy!!