# Tips for stopping chickens eating own eggs



## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

Hey all... I have a recurring problem with my hens. They keep eating their own eggs. So far i have tried the following ....

Making nests smaller
Putting golf balls in the nests
Adding calcium through mixed shell grit to the food.
Covering eggs in pepper and pouring the mixture on the floor (this worked briefly had 4 eggs the following day)

I have now put a cover over the nest boxes with slits on the front so they can push through to hopefully stop them eating in their
and this afternoon i am going to get some full fat milk to give them on a daily basis.
I will also continue with the peppered eggs every day for a week.

Any other tips?


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## Dee_Williams (Aug 15, 2010)

a mate of mine had a real problem with it. he covered the entire shed in eggs. they got bored of them after the initial excitement and never ate another one.
maybe something to try if nothing else works.............


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

sounds expensive lol! must be worth a shot though


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## Dee_Williams (Aug 15, 2010)

not with cheap own brand eggs. means to an end. 
and in the long run it saved him a lot, (he used cracked eggs from a industrial unit, got them free)


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## martyb (Sep 5, 2007)

Try giving them eggs that have really gone off, hopefully that should stop them once they realise they don't taste nice.


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## graeme77 (Sep 7, 2010)

try filling an egg with mustard hot english is best also give them garlic minced up in there feed i was told it can help them stop eating eggs


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## EquineArcher (Feb 13, 2010)

graeme77 said:


> try filling an egg with mustard hot english is best also give them garlic minced up in there feed i was told it can help them stop eating eggs


We got told this by a professional chicken breeder too. Blow an egg, syringe a load of mustard into it.


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## graeme77 (Sep 7, 2010)

also if you have sin bin 24 hours in there also works but you got to catch them in the middle of them eating the eggs 
or could ot be rats getting the eggs?


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

It's definatly the hens  we have seen them do it. How do i suringe an egg?


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## EquineArcher (Feb 13, 2010)

nat.brassington said:


> It's definatly the hens  we have seen them do it. How do i suringe an egg?


Get a needle, and carefully poke a hole in either end of the egg- blow hard at one end and the contents will come out the other. 

Then you need to get a small syringe and squirt mustard back in.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

and if the mustard eggs dont work, you may have to consider that 
1) your hens are ornaments and not egg producers
or
2) get rid and some new ones that`ll do the job


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

SexyBear77 said:


> Get a needle, and carefully poke a hole in either end of the egg- blow hard at one end and the contents will come out the other.
> 
> Then you need to get a small syringe and squirt mustard back in.


Thank you will give it a go!


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

pigglywiggly said:


> and if the mustard eggs dont work, you may have to consider that
> 1) your hens are ornaments and not egg producers
> or
> 2) get rid and some new ones that`ll do the job


See tbh if i had it my way if they dont stop doing it then they will be boa food... however the other half doesnt want them culled... she is soft like that


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

You'll have no option but to cull them if they carry on - unless you don't mind having no eggs. Other than the above advice, make the nest box as dark as humanly possible, with hessian curtains.


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

make a nest box that roles the eggs down to an area the hens cant get to, simples


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

tbh i`d have necked them by now too.

you cant even add more hens in with them cause they`ll teach them bad habits.


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

pigglywiggly said:


> tbh i`d have necked them by now too.
> 
> you cant even add more hens in with them cause they`ll teach them bad habits.


I agree. They'd be casserole by now. I'm getting few enough eggs with moulting and whatnot at the moment without having them eating them.
It's a very good point. It only takes one curious hen or accidental broken egg for the whole flock to discover that they're pretty tasty - eggs need to be collected as often as possible. A roll away nest box is a good idea, but it's difficult to have bedding in them and mine would just lay elsewhere.


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## redfoot man (Dec 30, 2010)

*egg eaters*

Having kept them for over 30 years, mustard is not going to do it ! "Pultry Spice" you give chickens has mustard in it and chilli, they love it! Best way to do it is find the hen thats doing it ,and eat her!!!!


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

redfoot man said:


> Having kept them for over 30 years, mustard is not going to do it ! "Pultry Spice" you give chickens has mustard in it and chilli, they love it! Best way to do it is find the hen thats doing it ,and eat her!!!!


I seem to remember reading something about birds not being able to taste the heat in chillies so you might have a point. I'm not sure if it works for chickens. I might give mine some bread & mustard tomorrow and check the theory.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

did you have these as older hens off someone or buy them as pols?

just wondering wether their previous owner knew they were useless.......

:lol2:

maybe you need to tell the o/h a white lie about `rehoming `them and get new ones........


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## redfoot man (Dec 30, 2010)

*egg eaters*

mustard is just a crushed seed,chicks love seed,mammals can taste mustard,chilli eg, hot. Birds can't , thats why some people put chilli powder on peanuts to stop squirrels eating them,in bird feeders .cheers Jon.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

redfoot man said:


> Having kept them for over 30 years, mustard is not going to do it ! "Pultry Spice" you give chickens has mustard in it and chilli, they love it! Best way to do it is find the hen thats doing it ,and eat her!!!!


no it hasnt:Na_Na_Na_Na:
i feed it mine occasionally in hot mash and it reeks of aniseed

have been and got the label and it contains 
minerals
micronised wheat
powdered ginger
turmeric
funugreek
aniseed


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

pigglywiggly said:


> no it hasnt:Na_Na_Na_Na:
> i feed it mine occasionally in hot mash and it reeks of aniseed
> 
> have been and got the label and it contains
> ...


Weird, you think they'd use garlic. I struggle to see the benefit of the other ingredients, apart from maybe the aniseed. I don't use it it make up my own occasionally. And feed them verm-x now and then as a pick-me-up although I'd bet a lot of money it doesn't kill worms.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

garlic comes through in the eggs, you`d have garlic flavoured eggs, handy for garlic mayonaise but not much else!

:lol2:

i prefer good old chemicals for worming mine, and ivomec for lice and mites!


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

pigglywiggly said:


> garlic comes through in the eggs, you`d have garlic flavoured eggs, handy for garlic mayonaise but not much else!
> 
> :lol2:
> 
> i prefer good old chemicals for worming mine, and ivomec for lice and mites!


I swear by ivermectin, I buy small amounts off a bloke who uses it by the litre. Works out much cheaper for me than the branded stuff. I use it every three months or so and use flubenvet scarcely cos I reckon the Ivermectin shifts worms better. I use garlic a lot with my lot and find it doesn't come through in the eggs - compared to when my missus threw them a load of leek trimmings (they obviously didn't pass through my kitchen (sorry DEFRA)). During the moult I also use lots of olive oil because I find cod liver oil makes fishy eggs.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i buy a 1/2 litre bottle of ivomec now and again. 
just dont tell anybody :whistling2:


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

pigglywiggly said:


> i buy a 1/2 litre bottle of ivomec now and again.
> just dont tell anybody :whistling2:


I've been wondering if the injectable stuff for cows would work the same?
Or the pour-on stuff? (Im googling it now)


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

thats what i buy, ivomec cattle injection, use it on rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, etc orally to worm and kill lice etc
and as a spot on for the birds too.

have been reading in my reptile parasite book that you can mix it with water and use it as a spray in viv for mites too


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

pigglywiggly said:


> thats what i buy, ivomec cattle injection, use it on rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, etc orally to worm and kill lice etc
> and as a spot on for the birds too.
> 
> have been reading in my reptile parasite book that you can mix it with water and use it as a spray in viv for mites too


Aye I use it on all my pas and present small animals. I was a bit worried putting it in the rabbit's mouths (or any other) as it smells like poppers, so I always used it as a spot on. I remember reading it's dangerous to dogs too.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

as long as you remember the spot ons for spot on and the cattle injection can be used either way you`ll be fine.

i accidently injected myself once, did horrible things to my breathing and the chest pain was epic, and my blood didnt clot.

wot fun,lol.


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

pigglywiggly said:


> as long as you remember the spot ons for spot on and the cattle injection can be used either way you`ll be fine.
> 
> i accidently injected myself once, did horrible things to my breathing and the chest pain was epic, and my blood didnt clot.
> 
> wot fun,lol.


Eurgh, I've had it in my eyes, mouth and all over my skin from various moody birds and in wounds too (I had a nasty scratch from a neighbours Muscovy duck whist worming it for her) I never got ill though :lol2: It smells dangerous and poisonous I wouldn't want too much in my bloodstream.


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

pigglywiggly said:


> did you have these as older hens off someone or buy them as pols?
> 
> just wondering wether their previous owner knew they were useless.......
> 
> ...


They came from a reputable place, they came from Dan at Shropshire pig and poultry. I have managed to collect eggs the last few days, but have stills seen broken shell. Has anyone got any pictures of the away i can do the nests so the egg roll to a place which is inaccessible to the chickens? Although one thing to note is that one of the hens is laying in the roosting area so that may not help that particular bird.


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

I think I am going to attempt to build some kind of rollaway system to fit into the existing lay boxes ... will be a double bonus ... no hay costs!


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

or split them up one at a time to see who`s the culprit? then you only have to eat one

:lol2:


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

Well whatever i have done seems to have worked for the moment at least, have collected 8 eggs over the past three days, so were getting some. I am still going to have a pop at modifying the nests so that they slant back to drop the eggs away. I am useless at DIY so it may take a whilst!


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

pigglywiggly said:


> did you have these as older hens off someone or buy them as pols?
> 
> just wondering wether their previous owner knew they were useless.......
> 
> ...


I can just imagine this, especially cooking her a nice _chicken_ casserole to cheer her up and soften the blow before you tell her


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## tinyfish (Nov 11, 2008)

Chickens need rather a lot of animal protein in their diets, perhaps they are trying to get more by eating their eggs. Have you tried offering things like earthworms, mealworms (fresh or dried), mild cheese, mince or similar as part of their regular feed to see if it will get them off their eggs? Scrambled egg is also very good for them but in your case it would be defeating the purpose .


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

Well just to update this thread. I added more of the mixed grit and shell to the feed schedule, scattering it around the run every couple of days. The egg eating slowed, i was getting 1-3 eggs a week. Then one day i noticed one of the chickens was out of sorts, the next night when i went to lock them up. This one chicken was still out and struggling to walk. I phoned a farmer friend of mine to see what i should do and he said that it was best to kill the bird. Since that bird has been removed from the group we have been having 3 eggs every day since. So i suspect it was the poorly chicken that was eating them. The farmer friend said that he is not aware that egg eating could cause chickens to become ill but she must have been eating 3-4 a day some days.


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## Stary eyed (Feb 7, 2011)

tinyfish said:


> Chickens need rather a lot of animal protein in their diets, perhaps they are trying to get more by eating their eggs. Have you tried offering things like earthworms, mealworms (fresh or dried), mild cheese, mince or similar as part of their regular feed to see if it will get them off their eggs? Scrambled egg is also very good for them but in your case it would be defeating the purpose .



The only useful post in the whole thread. 
Well said.:no1:


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