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Egg eating woe

 
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chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 14 4:56 pm    Post subject: Egg eating woe Reply with quote
    

I think I am going to have to cull the hen that I so triumphantly saved from an internally broken egg a few weeks ago. She's still laying relatively shonkey shells, despite extra shell/grit, and she's eating them, with obvious enjoyment.

I'm really ticked off - I have three black araucana hens, one of which is carrying a recessive silkie gene that I am trying to pin down. I have a feeling that Mrs Egg Eater is the one without the recessive. Which leaves me with one girl and a blue boy. Grumpiness abounds

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45375
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 14 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

soup

sorry but if she goes for her own she may well go for those of others

grannie was ruthless about such things

gythagirl



Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 14 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I never asked if the shell-bound hen was Pompom - but was it?

Woo



Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 14 7:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

My Dad said the same 'she has to go'. I dont envy you.
My favorite hen drowned in the duck bath last week.
The mean, unfriendly ones live forever.
The ones you have plans for, quite like, let the kids make a fuss of them....
Cant it pass though? I had a few soft shells and they seemed to stop on their own. They all like a broken egg. as long as they dont start breaking them deliberatly.
good luck with it.

Bodger



Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 14 4:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Have you thought of fitting her with the plastic specks that I've supplied to quite a few people? They don't have to be permanent, its just a matter of trying to break the habit until she forgets the gourmet taste of eggs.

chickenlady



Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 14 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Or fit a Rollaway nestbox.

chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 14 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

gythagirl wrote:
I never asked if the shell-bound hen was Pompom - but was it?


No, it wasn't - Pompom is doing very well, actually.

Re a rollaway nest-box or specs, no, I've got gone down either of those routes yet. I'm still at the 'moaning about it but still moving it down my list of priorities' stage. We're away this week; I am going to leave her with a hopper of grit and see what goes.

Although, having said that, I do actually have a spare rollaway insert that may fit in the next box without too much hassle - I will see if I can fit that up tomorrow. I really don't want to cull her if I possibly can at least get a few more chicks out of her, they are so rare.

Tavascarow



Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 14 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's contagious (I know ).
Once one starts the others will soon follow.
I'm having to collect eggs as often as possible at the moment.
I've constructed roll away inserts (Roll away inserts like this.) but one or two have sussed & are reaching in under to get the eggs.
As soon as I've got some spare cash it will be new pullets & chicken pies but till then I've no choice but to press on.

chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 14 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Luckily I've got her penned as a pair - my other two hens are in with a silkie cockerel so I can try and track down the peculiar gene. It was a bit of a project anyway ... and much more so now

Leo



Joined: 25 Feb 2011
Posts: 227

PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 14 6:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I had moderate sucess with stopping egg eating with the 'filling the eggs' thing (- not with chilli sauce etc, they just loved that!). Tip from a US forum - fill the eggs with liquid soap - mine certainly didn't like that. But you still have to collect pretty sharpish, mine discovered the real eggs, but their enthusiasm for it did drop off as they kept getting the wrong ones.
I also did roll away nestboxes; saw my first 'snake necked chicken' soon after. I just couldn't believe how much they wanted to eat those eggs!
The liquid soap thing is probably worth a try before making into soup.

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 14 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Roll away egg boxes do work BUT they all want to lay in the same bloody box.

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