Is there anything to be done about a chicken eating eggs? I bought 5 Bramah chickens that are about 10 months old .4 hens 1 rooster .I put them with the rest of my flock and the #@!%^* are eating all my eggs ! I go to the house several times a day ,they free range , get grain and bread.I know they will make good soup but I would prefer there eggs .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), April 09, 2000

Answers

hi try giving them oyster shells. they are missing calcium . the shells will give them what they need and should stop them from eating the eggs. the only time mine eat the eggs is when i don't give them the oyster shells. hope this works for you. good luck cindy

-- cindy young (cin_sue63@webtv.net), April 09, 2000.

The hens I added to my coop last year, did the same thing . I think they're adolescent teenagers!!!!! It becomes a bad habit, that's for sure!!!! Mine quit doing it once they got side tracked and were allowed to free range again.(they hate the snow) I threw them more calcium grit with their feed and that did seem to help some. Good Luck!! They may just have to out grow it.(if they live that long)

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), April 09, 2000.

I'll try it .I think they may have started egg eating at there old home .They had to many hens in 1 pen and they couldn't go outside. It was a funny site to see the first time they were let out !I was also thinking they may be doing it from the stress of the new home ?Thanks

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), April 09, 2000.

I give mine extra protein - ground up meat scraps or crumbled hard boiled eggs- along with the calcium. It seems to help a lot. I never have this problem in the summer when there are lots of bugs and worms for them to eat.

-- Peg (jnjohnsn@pressenter.com), April 09, 2000.

Have you placed your nest boxes so they are very dark? If you ca,t get them that way, maybe try a flap of rubber or nylon to cover the entry. I haven't had the problem, but I recall reading that the darkness would deter them as well as the calcium. If you have kale left give that to them too. Good luck!

-- Doreen Davenport (livinginskin@yahoo.com), April 09, 2000.

I agree with Doreen. I had the same problem once and solved it by fastening heavy black plastic over the nesting boxs (like curtains) and cutting a slit in it for the chickens to go in and out of the boxes. For whatever reason it worked and when the plastic eventually fell down the habit had stopped. My hens were getting a balanced diet with scraps, greens, and oyster shells and still they persisted. They were not free ranging however. Hope this helps. Good luck

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), April 10, 2000.

Thanks for asking that question cause I have had the same problem and knew there was something I should be doing but too busy to take the time to fix it. I have to go to the feed store today anyway, so will pick up some oyster shell and cover up those nest boxes a litlle bit. karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), April 12, 2000.