Ive Had it! I give up! This is the LAST STRAW!

[smokeythecat]

I've Had it! I give up! This is the LAST STRAW!

So, actually, I'm trying to get the eggs from my four pet chickens, But they're eating them. So I tried putting ceramic eggs in the hen house. Worked for 1 day. Got 1 whole egg.

Then my daughter suggested putting mustard in an emptied egg and when eating it, they won't like it, would stop and stop the eating egg nonsense. All I can say, after they polished off the mustard laden egg (every scrap) was "where are the hot dogs to go with this?"

So today, I come up with the ultimate bright idea. I'll mix egg with hot sauce. That'll do it. So they see the egg and start at it. Scrambles, the 10 pound wonder chicken is first. As usual.
Next thing I know she's ralphing on the other side of the pen. But then goes back and gets more of that awesome tasty!

They went at it like it was the best thing since....anything....since anything. So I took the egg away as I didn't want the morons to get sick.

Guess I'll be buying them at the store from now on. And BTW Scrambles is totally fine. She only did her disgusting thing a second or so. She'll have her blueberry muffin soon. They're not spoiled.

 

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[stefen]

Several problems that needs addressing...

1. Over crowding...provide more nesting boxes and/or larger boxes
2. More calcium in diet...well crushed
3. Make sure of a balanced feed in diet...
4. Do research..."Why do chickens eat their eggs?"

Note that there are times when chickens will cannibalize others in a flock...stress from crowding, nesting, roosting and balanced food diet...

Need to cure immediately...if not get ALL NEW LAYERS...

Free ranging is a first step...

PS...there is a distinct cultural society in all animal groups...a pecking order, as such...it's prevalent in chicken flocks, dairy cows, goats, horse herds, and the like...the local County Farm Advisor can be a good source...a local 4H Club Poultry Leader is another source...

PS-2... if all else fails, stuff the birds with corn bread and apples...let me know when they are done...

 

[smokeythecat]

I only have four and they grew up together. Best friends. At least for now. They are just over two years old. They do get the calcium and every kind of additional food known to God and man. And they are allowed in their eagle proof "playpen" and free range some.

Thanks. Then even have a battery powered fan in operation in the summer if it gets hot outside.

 

[stefen]

Sounds good...

 

[smokeythecat]

My daughter, who is smarter than me, suggested a "ramp" system n the henhouse so the egg "rolls' out into a secure box for me to get. Think that's what I'm doing tomorrow.

 

[Oddjob]

Have you separated them yet? Do that and who ever the one is creating this is dinner.

 

[smokeythecat]

No, they all do it, I've watched. Scrambles the Wonder Chicken is first, then the others join in. Wanna guess why we name her Scrambles. These are pets. Spoiled, rotten, egg eating pets.

 

[releventchair]

My daughter, who is smarter than me, suggested a "ramp" system n the henhouse so the egg "rolls' out into a secure box for me to get. Think that's what I'm doing tomorrow.

She beat me to it.

Egg eating is hard to stop once it gets started.

 

[Icewing]

Perhaps a few decoy stone eggs in the nest will help.

 

[wainzoid]

My daughter, who is smarter than me, suggested a "ramp" system n the henhouse so the egg "rolls' out into a secure box for me to get. Think that's what I'm doing tomorrow.

Many of the local Amish/Menonites have that in their chicken coops. Not sure of the reason, but its quite popular around here.

At the end of this week, I've got a chicken coop to build for a friend. Its for a dozen layers. Its going to be pretty elaborate. It should be a fun job.

 

[smokeythecat]

I will be building a ramp system tomorrow. Have the boards, chickens will enjoy watching me. And there's plenty of grass to chomp in the meantime.

 

[kcm]

Yeah, I asked the local chicken expert (the wife) about this earlier. She said many of the same things. She also mentioned that the chickens may need some ground sea shells added to their diet. But it would appear you covered that base also. So the last thing is, she thinks the chickens are bored. She mentioned how "their" schedule and "your" schedule may be using totally different clocks - that it is normal to collect the eggs early in the morning before the chickens have a chance to eat them.

She lastly said that it is difficult to get chickens to STOP eating eggs once they've gotten a taste of them. Chickens aren't smart. Instinctive, yes, but not smart. But smart enough to learn that eggs go better in the tummy than they do in the hands of us giants as we're walking away with them.

Also, might wanna watch the eggs for the next few days (IF you can) from the one that had Eggs Flambe!

 

[austin]

I have the perfect solution. Fried Chicken. Problem solved.

 

[smokeythecat]

Eggs Flambe! Yup. Won't eat any eggs I can get for a bit. Scrambles the Wonder Chicken (all 10 pounds of her, a big girl), will have flaming eggs due to her liking hot sauce.

I think tomorrow I'm going to wind up in an Elmer Fudd or Wily Coyote cartoon. Making the Acme All Purchase Fire Breathing Chicken Egg Catching Contraption.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Look up roll out nest box

 

[releventchair]

Eggs Flambe! Yup. Won't eat any eggs I can get for a bit. Scrambles the Wonder Chicken (all 10 pounds of her, a big girl), will have flaming eggs due to her liking hot sauce.

I think tomorrow I'm going to wind up in an Elmer Fudd or Wily Coyote cartoon. Making the Acme All Purchase Fire Breathing Chicken Egg Catching Contraption.

https://worldduh.com/2013/02/07/quirky-news-cracking-contraption-makes-pancakes/

 

[stefen]

Many moons ago, we built nesting boxes with rabbit wire (1/4" squares) bottoms that ramped to the outside. Used a 1 X 2 at the outer edge to catch the eggs.

You can do the same thing with lift-up lids to keep out hawks, etc.

 

[Honest Samuel]

I have the perfect solution. Fried Chicken. Problem solved.

I agree with this great idea. Chickens are not just for laying eggs. Good tasting. Maybe they need a boyfriend, a rooster.

 

[favored papa]

I love chickens with BBQ sauce. or stuffed.

 

[T.C.]

I had the same problem with a couple of my hens. An 'ol timer told me to go to the feed store and borrow their beak clipper. It clips off the sharp ends of their beaks...but ya gotta be careful. One of mine bled to death....stopped her from eatin' any more eggs though....true story!!