How to cure egg eating?

[petal]

I don't believe it. our derbyshire redcap, spike milligan is eating eggs. no wonder his breed are so rare.
Is there any way realistic of curing him? I will fill some eggs with tabasco but surely now hes got a taste for eggs, thats it?
Who votes to stick him in a pot?

[Lorraine70]

I'll be interested in hearing replies to this. Petal, one of my girls (a brown hybrid) has started egg eating too. It's not everyday she does it, but it is frequent. My girls are free-range but still get additional grit and oystershell on top of their layers pellets and corn.

[polo]

Hi both, Don't know if you remember I had a problem with a couple of mine doing it too. I read somewhere that giving them some milk to drink can solve it (I suppose they are saying it could be a deficiency). I tried a bowl of milk over 5 days in the morning and it stopped. Mine also get layers, occasional poultry spice, ACV in water and grit/crushed eggshells.

Perhaps its worth a try? I also did the tabasco eggs after I watched in horror as they devoured the mustard eggs I made .....

Good luck x

[RichmondHens]

Unless you can cure him there is no alternative. I would neck anything, male or female that eats eggs. It can prompt others to start very very quickly so you need to get it sorted asap or he is dinner, rare breed or not!

You do need to find out why he has suddenly started doing it, same for Lorraine's hybrid. Eggs left uncollected can prompt them to peck out of curiosity, then they discover the egg tastes good, and so it starts. Also boredom, also not enough protein in the diet or being without water (more common in hot weather). Lorraine, how much corn are your hens getting? Just a couple of handfuls at the end of the day is enough for a few hens.

Polo, chickens are supposed to be lactose intolerant so I would be wary of giving them milk. Someone else on here, can't remember who, discovered something hot and spicy that stopped their's, perhaps some thread trawling is required.

[Hilary B]

The only sure cure is the final one, but a rollaway nest box reduces the opportunity if it is a cockerel you want to use for breeding, or a pet you can't bear to kill.

[petal]

It can't be boredom, he has the run of the garden. I am going to try the tabasco egg first but quite frankly he is likely to go in the pot, they have ad lib layers am, a little corn pm, vitamins in water. spoilt rotten. Eggs are collected daily.

[polo]

Hi RH,

I'm surprised about the milk as I had researched it and it was (or still is) commonly used in commercial poultry farming. They did say that hens are low on the enzyme needed to digest lactose but small amounts shouldn't be a problem and mine certainly didn't have any ill effects.

Its not something I give them on a regular basis but I do think it helped sort out the egg eater although it could have been a coincidence.

[petal]

my dad has come to the rescue of spike milligan- he is going in isolation tomorrow, adlib pellets and grit etc and a nice bowl of tabasco eggs....... if that doesn't work he is going to make a lovely roast dinner.....

[walldanzig]

two things worked for me roll away egg boxes and golf balls. They think the golf balls are eggs and get no joy from them and get bored

[noviceone]

my hens are not laying an egg everyday an when they do its a race against them to find the egg before they destroy it advise please

[davefromthechipie]

Hi petal
just got over this problem , i tryed a rollaway box but they dont like laying in it ( cant blame them really ) ,next was musterded filled eggs ( they liked it ) I next got one rubber egg , worked for abit . But what i found best was the 5 eggs i got from ebay they are mixed shaped , color and some are rubber some are clay/ceramic , that worked for my lady

i got a pack like this NEW SET 5 CERAMIC & RUBBER EGGS ,BROODY HENS,CHICKENS on eBay (end time 11-Apr-11 18:33:29 BST)


hope you get it sorted soon.

[petal]

I have built straw bale den in their shed with secret squeeze in area to lay. its worked!