golf balls

[raine]

hi all i've got a problem with egg eating- to the extent where i'm now down to NONE! (this morning only) i've searched for ideas andi'm going to try a few. Trouble is i haven't got a ceramic egg(one of the ideas) i think i read somewhere that a golf ball will do-has anyone tried this? Also its suggested that you darken the nest box- does it need strips of material or can a just fix up a flap? I'd love to hear from anyone whos had this problem-especially if you were successful as i dont want to get rid of the girls though i do want eggs!

[Suechooks]

The things folk have used are roll away nest boxes; strips of black fabric/polythene over the entrance of the nest box to darken it; false eggs (I've used golf balls and pot eggs) and that worked for mine; mustard/chilli/tabasco filled eggs.I think someone resorted to culling one hen too as she was the only culprit sostopped the habit spreading to others
Are they ex-batts? If so the shells might be getting thin and therefore easier to break into. You could try the many ideas for strengthening the shells. Good luck.

[Bramble-Poultry]

Although I have never tried it personally I know several people who have tried the "doctored" eggs with exceptional success - you blow and normal egg and the refill it with something nasty like mustard or tabasco sauce as Sue said and then pop one in the next box, you may have to repeat this for several days to break the habbit.

Also fill one with blue (or green) food colouring (the gel sort - wilton is the brand you can get it from hobby craft) before popping it in - that way you will easily be able to identify your culprit if you don't know which one it is already!

[winstonwobble]

Tried the filled egg thingy didnt really work for me (sorry) ha d to send the culprits to chicken heaven i even sat with them for days while they were laying and removed the egg imediatly they were like vultures trying to get the egg pushing the one that was laying off the nest i think it all started by one breaking an egg by accident and escalated from there iv now set my nest box on an angle so as they lay an egg it rolls towards the wall and the next one in dosent stand on it couldnt face going through all that again!! good luck

[ChrisB]

Like others, I tried the doctored egg to no avail.

I bought a couple of rollaway inserts and cobbled together a nest box, this did the trick. No more eaten eggs as they couldn't reach them.

Good luck