can you cure an egg eater?

[sherpa]

We have 3 hens and 2 ducks at the moment. we have had an egg eater for quite awhile, so much so the ducks hide their eggs because they are sick of ms. eating them. I sometimes get there before her but not as many times as she as she waits around the hen house till an egg appears. I have isolated her now and I have been reading the only way is to kill her. Oh dear i REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT! Is there anything else I can do?

[di]

We've had a certain amount of success by darkening the boxes...we used to use open ones but now I use a decent sized cardboard box turned on it's side.The majority of the time now I'm welcomed by a box of untouched eggs.
If you do a search on here for egg eating you'll find lots more suggestions...Good Luck

[MaureenHall]

It's a really difficult thing to break the habit, unfortunately once they get the taste for fresh eggs they're hooked! Things to try are filling a blown egg with hot mustard so it tastes horrible when she breaks into it; roll-away nest boxes; pot eggs that can't be broken. If everything fails then I'm afraid the only cure is to dispatch her Good luck

[Snadger]

I thought I had an egg eater and I was right, but only because another chook was laying imperfect eggs which were getting trampled on.
Increased the amount of straw in the nestbox and gathered eggs soon after laying and problem is nigh on solved!

[sherpa]

thanks guys, I have tried the darken boxes, lots of hay, collecting the eggs promptly, even more or less standing over the hen as they lay to get in there but she is a quick bugger. If only she realised what was going to happen if she didn't stop, she may then chose a different past time

I am moving house and my mam is going to foster my ladies for the moment so the last thing she wants me to do is introduce an egg eater into her flock. Or do you think a new home would rehabilitate her?

[Snadger]

............................ Or do you think a new home would rehabilitate her?

A new home in the oven may be!

[MaureenHall]

A new home where nobody's laying perhaps With some boys for company?

[sherpa]

My mam's are laying but there is a boy about the place. We don't have a cock because of our neighbours but my mam has a big fine one and about 7 or 8 ladies. Maybe the fact they eventually have a man in their life after 2 years maybe just what they need? thanks

[frias]

He's in for a treat isn't he, 3 new ladies.

[sherpa]

He's in for a treat isn't he, 3 new ladies.

lol!

[Hilary B]

I'd go for the rollaway nest boxes, as about the most likely answer, but it depends how many nest boxes you need.
I don't think you can cure a determined eg eater, you just have to keep her and the eggs apart, by whatever method will work.
She may be better when in with the larger group, even if only because there will be a LOT of other hens, and a cockerel, to sort her out, or keep her too busy to watch for eggs.
It sunds like she is 'top hen' and if so, introducing her into another flock may well change that, and provide distraction.

[Glutton4...]

I've gone for every option! Rollaway nest-boxes, fake eggs, and black plastic strips to cover the nest-box entrances. I also have a Cockeral, too, and I still get the odd one eaten, occasionally!

[Llamas]

I recently had this problem too. It's sooo frustrating! Try the mustard thing, and bear in mind that if you do need to dispatch her, she's had a wonderful chickeny old time and may be delicious. (Fingers crossed for you though)

[walldanzig]

I used rollaway nest boxes cured them for a while. If I could have identified which one it was and could not cure it that would have been it for her im afraid. Good luck and I hope it all works out

[Scarlet]

I used very hot chilli sauce and it worked a treat - much better than my OH having her for tea.