birds have developed a taste for eggs

[DrakeMaiden]

I have a friend that if she needs to find the egg eater will throw down (gently) an egg and watch for the perpetrator.

Oooh, I like that. However, when you have an egg eater, you don't typically want to waste any more eggs. But I suppose a store-bought egg would be more easily sacrificed.

 

[~gd]

Sorry...... lol

When/If TSJTF the socks will go fast I can live without underware but not without socks.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Its hard to tend this problem now that I am on my 'on time.' Got home @ noon and the roost wasn't locked, but fortunately no eggs either. Locked them and picked up 1 guinea egg and 2 chicken eggs for safety. Did find evidence of egg eating. I do need to put more shreaded paper in the boxes. We having a rain storm right now. If TSHTF, and I feel I need to downsize to cut corners, I know which chickens are getting sold.

 

[me&thegals]

Ours are eating eggs like crazy, too.

 

[me&thegals]

I have a friend that if she needs to find the egg eater will throw down (gently) an egg and watch for the perpetrator.

Oooh, I like that. However, when you have an egg eater, you don't typically want to waste any more eggs. But I suppose a store-bought egg would be more easily sacrificed.

I think, though, that some birds eat broken eggs opportunistically and others break them purposely.

 

[Cindlady2]

This true, but you don't break the egg.... then look for the one working hard to break it.

 

[me&thegals]

This true, but you don't break the egg.... then look for the one working hard to break it.

Oh, right. That makes sense

 

[Beekissed]

ANY chicken will eat an egg that is thrown down in front of them, broken. In 36 years I've never had an "egg-eater" chicken....I've had hundreds of chickens who will opportunistically eat a broken or cracked egg though. This is natural and part of being a chicken~this is how they keep nests clean and keep predators from becoming attracted to their nests.

If you are having a problem with eggs being eaten you really need to look at why they are becoming damaged. Place oyster shell directly in the feed instead of offering it free choice. You could also increase protein levels and, if these are penned in a run chickens, give them something to "forage" on the ground to keep them occupied.

If the nesting is crowded or eggs are not being collected daily, this could also be a factor.

I've been tossing poopy or damaged eggs to my flocks for all these years and they fight over the egg and shells...but I've never had an "egg-eater". I don't think I've just been lucky for 36 years and everyone else just happens to have chickens that are more predatory about eggs, it's just simply that one has to look at causative factors and eliminate them~not eliminate or retrain the chickens because they are merely doing what comes natural to them.