Eggeaters

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Lammie

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Okay. since chickens are fresh on everyone's minds... I have about 25 chickens, Barred Rocks and Black Austrolorps, SP :oops: ?) in four coops that are joined together. I have at least one egg eater, I think, maybe more. It makes gathering eggs a horrible experience as the broken eggs mess up the clean ones. I am washing eggs every night.

Here's the question. That behavior is picked up by other chickens, isn't it? I pretty much need to cull that whole flock and start over? I am thinking so. I hate an egg eater. I guess it is about time to do so anyway. I have just never had to start completely over, though.

Any experiences with egg eaters?
 
Lammie, ours will eat an egg if I happen to drop one. Haven't ever had one eat an egg that's in the nesting box (that I'm aware of anyway). If calcium is what stops what you're experiencing, get a bag of crushed oyster shells and give them a few handfuls every few days. Try it before you give up on the whole bunch of them!
 
One batch of hens we had were egg breakers. I put a sloping floor in the nests and had a gap at the back just enough for an egg to roll out and get out of the nest. Then I just walked along behind the nests and gathered eggs. Also took care of the assorted setters hat crop up from time to time.
 
i have that problem to. They have oyster shells and double duty grit that is calcium. As soon as the chicks start laying it's..."OFF WITH THERE HEADS". Or some other variation. Can't do it now need what eggs i get. Nasty Nasty Nasty habit.
 
If you can figure out which one is doing it... usually pretty easy to isolate as the feet and feathers get egg goo on them...

...seperate her off into a brooder box and see if the egg eating stops...

...if it does, you have the right one,

...if it doesn't, repeat with adding another bird and trying again

...once you isolate the culprit you can just set her free

shouldn't have to purge the whole flock.
 
Sometimes they can get to eating eggs if you have a new group in there that's aggressive... or too many in one coop so it "hides" in the nest box and doesn't have to leave for food.

I isolated one last year that was aggressive and it all stopped.
 
DavisBeefmasters":2zih7g22 said:
Sometimes they can get to eating eggs if you have a new group in there that's aggressive... or too many in one coop so it "hides" in the nest box and doesn't have to leave for food.

I isolated one last year that was aggressive and it all stopped.
Click to expand...

I had several egg eaters years ago and it got to the point where they would peck chicks to death as they were hatching. I found the guilty parties then. Had a smaller flock then, too. I will get some more calcium. I used to feed it all the time, but it is such a mess. It isn't that the shells are fragile and they are breaking when sat on, I think I have one or more that are pecking eggs and breaking them, like one in a nesting box. Then the other eggs are getting contaminated. It is pretty disgusting.

I will get some oyster shell today and see if that helps, but I am going to continue to try and isolate my egg eaters. My error is that I have not culled for these behaviors quickly enough and now it has spread.

I do want to build my next nesting boxes sloped so that the egg rolls out of the box and to a collecting area. Hen houses were here when I showed up, so haven't made changes.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Other than a gun, what is the best way to break a young pup from chasing and killing chickens ? 1/2 Austrailian shepard and 1/2 floosie!
RP
 
RCP":1bcdhfsi said:
Other than a gun, what is the best way to break a young pup from chasing and killing chickens ? 1/2 Austrailian shepard and 1/2 floosie!
RP
Click to expand...

If I could have ever figured that out I would still have chickens.
 
My freind used a paintball gun on a neigbours dog that would chase the car, so she would shoot it, it never did it again, and its owner now knew that her dog chased cars. I dont know if it would help with chickens, probally not. :lol: :lol:


Katy
 
I put my dog in the chicken coop with a big mean rooster for a couple. I was watching and I didn't let the rooster flog him, but the dog was plenty scared and learned to stay out of the path of chickens in general.

I have weenie dogs, and they leave the heavy breeds alone. But they really go for the banties. I guess they think they are more their size.

I also had a Doberman. She killed a hen of mine and when I saw it happen, I took that hen by the feet and I chased that dog around with it smacking her with the hen. That sounds mean. It made her leave the hens alone.

You probably don't want to try any of that. It really isnt' a good way to train and I was mad both times, which isn't a good thing in general.
 
RCP":gg69yum2 said:
Other than a gun, what is the best way to break a young pup from chasing and killing chickens ? 1/2 Austrailian shepard and 1/2 floosie!
RP
Click to expand...

Takes a strong stomach but -

Here is what I did:

First I whipped the dog for a bit - first with my belt and then with the chicken. Then I duct taped the chicken to the dog - tight to the neck so he could not grab it - for about a week.

Kept the dog tied the whole time.

It will make the dog either hate chickens and become a real killer - or it will make the dog avoid the birds with a passion.

So far I have done this twice and I am batting 100%

Over to you,

Bez>
 
I am glad to hear that I am not the only lunatic chasing a dog around beating it with a dead chicken. I imagine I cut quite a figure out in the yard.
 
Lammie":1j5kzkvh said:
I am glad to hear that I am not the only lunatic chasing a dog around beating it with a dead chicken. I imagine I cut quite a figure out in the yard.
Click to expand...

Lunatic?

I resemble that remark.

Bez>
 
I heard about this ~ Don't recomend it ~
Dog killed chickens-Owner attached a Long extention cord w/wires round collor to the dog-had a plug on the porch-Dog went after chicken,owner pluged in cord! They said whenever dog saw a chicken,he'd crawl on the porch and pee himself..
 
peg4x4":37up8yhf said:
I heard about this ~ Don't recomend it ~
Dog killed chickens-Owner attached a Long extention cord w/wires round collor to the dog-had a plug on the porch-Dog went after chicken,owner pluged in cord! They said whenever dog saw a chicken,he'd crawl on the porch and pee himself..
Click to expand...

Yep it also works on husbands with wondering eyes. :shock:
I may never be the same....
And its getting crowded under the porch.
 
redfornow":3cwzxckj said:
peg4x4":3cwzxckj said:
I heard about this ~ Don't recomend it ~
Dog killed chickens-Owner attached a Long extention cord w/wires round collor to the dog-had a plug on the porch-Dog went after chicken,owner pluged in cord! They said whenever dog saw a chicken,he'd crawl on the porch and pee himself..
Click to expand...

Yep it also works on husbands with wondering eyes. :shock:
I may never be the same....
And its getting crowded under the porch.
Click to expand...

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
I have a lab that I caught getting a chicken. After I bounced the the hammer that I happened to have in my hand off her from about 20 feet, I caught her by the collar and pulled her into the chicken house. I proceeded to rub her face on the chicken house floor between alternate beatings. By the time we left that chicken house she had had her a$$ kicked but good. Now she is a duck fetching machine during hunting season but she wont even look towards a chicken.
 

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