Is there an easy way to stop a chicken from eating eggs ? Without ringing their neck. I give them the block from tractor supply for egg making.
I have one eating eggs and not sure which one. :D :D :D :D :D
I have heard of hot pepper. But the neck is really the only way,IF you can figure out which one. Get it quick,because that one will teach 2,than 2 will teach 4........
something must be lacking with their diet, normally they only go after a broken egg.
Old hens lay weak shelled eggs.You need plenty on nest material as some birds lay eggs standing up.A broken egg starts egg eating.A dark nest helps. hens enter from the side.The door has a cloth flap to keep the nest dark.Egg are collected by lifting the top.Collect eggs early, most hens lay in the morning.Egg yolk on a hens beak or face ids the egg eater.Ring neck, dress and roast.
Smooth stones/fake eggs in nest tend to cure the problem also
Take an egg and poke a hole in each end and blow the inside of the egg out. Fill the empty eggshell with yellow mustard and put it back in the nest. Chickens HATE mustard. I have broken chickens from eating way, believe me it works.
Tkanks guys, Ill try them all 8)
Golf balls worked for us.
If you were to go to a poultry farm where there are 100's of chickens, you'll find that the chickens all have a bottom beak that's longer than the top beak!
The chickens won't peck on hard items when the top beak is cut back!
To trim the top beak, my dad and I used one of those cutters you would use to trim a dogs toenails, there might be a special tool made nowadays.
Trim them "just" short enough to where they will bleed a little and they will be tender and the egg eating will diminish!
Normally if chickens are eating their eggs indicates they are lacking hard material necessary for food digestion. Try giving them Oyster Shells. Usually works every time.
Quote from: bugdust on April 24, 2014, 09:23:52 PM
Normally if chickens are eating their eggs indicates they are lacking hard material necessary for food digestion. Try giving them Oyster Shells. Usually works every time.
There out in the yard :)
Quote from: Chuck White on April 24, 2014, 09:03:03 PMIf you were to go to a poultry farm where there are 100's of chickens, you'll find that the chickens all have a bottom beak that's longer than the top beak!
Clipping their beaks in a sure way to solve the issue but then they won't be able to free range and hunt for food, they also won't be able to defend themselves as much.
You basically just remove the point of the upper beak!
They can still eat, survive and produce while being outside!
We used to buy laying hens from somebody who clipped their beaks and those chickens could only eat 1/3 of what a full beaked chicken could when out foraging (had trouble catching worms, bugs, etc). Those clipped chickens could always be found at the feeder.
Stopped raising anything with a clipped beak and our bagged feed consumption went down considerably.
Just my experience from personally raising hundreds of free range chickens.
If they are laying in nest boxes and not on the ground you could try a roll away nest box or tray insert in existing nest box.
QuoteStopped raising anything with a clipped beak and our bagged feed consumption went down considerably.
We are finding this now, our flock has been a closed one for years and my wife just added 18 Isa Brown ex battery hens for their egg production. Their beaks are clipped and they get to free range with others. The egg production is up but the quality is down, not as rich yolks, they don't seem to know how to forage.
usually something is lacking in their diet when they are eating eggs. We use golf balls in the nesting box, mostly in the winter when they slow down. They are outside all spring summer and fall but have never had a chicken eat eggs unless I drop one they come running over and eat it.
They'er let out in a wire in area. They go back in to lay an egg then go out and do their chicken thing :D One will sneak in and eat an egg , Then run out and mix with the rest and I lose her . They all look the same :D :D :D
I'm going to try the mustard trick. :D :D
At least the beak will be yellow. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Peter,
Fried chicken.
Chicken and rice.
Chicken and dumplings.
Chicken parmigiana.
Smoked chicken.
Fried chicken fingers and dipping sauce.
Roasted chicken and deviled eggs (if you have any eggs left :)).
Quote from: WDH on April 25, 2014, 10:02:19 PM
Peter,
Fried chicken.
Chicken and rice.
Chicken and dumplings.
Chicken parmigiana.
Smoked chicken.
Fried chicken fingers and dipping sauce.
Roasted chicken and deviled eggs (if you have any eggs left :)).
BBQ Chicken
Chicken Creole
Chicken Stew
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Gumbo
I can't think of no more Forester.
Target practice :D I'm not much of a chicken eater, nobody cooks like my grandma did anymore. I will say my wife can make it edible though, if you like chicken you'd probably love hers.