The Poultry Keeper

garymac · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Gateshead

Help!!! Have had 6 hybrid Bovan Goldline hens since sept 05. They are laying well and I was averaging about 39 eggs per week. The problem that I have is that one recently laid a 'soft' shell egg and this got burst. The next day I had five eggs laid and one had had a hole pecked in it. This trend is continuing and I do not know what to do to stop it. Please can someone suggest something????

mojo · Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:28 pm Post subject:

out tomorrow buy 6 plastic eggs (for broodies)mark with x in marker put some in each box.....p.s.do not eat hehehe

Lisa · Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:49 pm Post subject:

Hi Garymac, welcome to the forum

Sorry to hear about your egg eating problem Sad

There is a nice article about egg eating here that explains why it can start and how it spreads:

http://www.plamondon.com/faq_misc.html

I have heard a lot of people have had success with fitting something over the front of the nest boxes to make the area much darker. A cheap and durable option (if they are the right size for your nest boxes) are rubber car mats fixed on the front. These are cut into thin vertical strips to make a curtain that the chickens can push through (maybe with a little bit cut away so the chickens can still see the next box is still there!).

Another option would be to fit roll-away nest boxes. If the eggs aren't available, they can't eat them! These can be bought online here:

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/rollaway_nestboxes.htm

Hope that helps.

You could also try a "search" on the forum on egg eating to see what others have recommended...

Do let us know how you get on. I hope you find a solution that works for you Smile

Lisa

garymac · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Gateshead

Thanks I have a few ideas to go on now. I have started to collect the eggs more than once a day in order to minimise destruction, although I have noticed a drop in numbers laid per week. Yesterday I collected the eggs at 7.30am and again when I got in from work at 6.30pm. I had 3no. at 7.30am and one broken (pecked) one at 6.30pm. I think the darkened nest boxes is the next one that I will try as I do not know where I would get 6 dummy eggs from...

Lisa · Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 9:54 am Post subject:

I've heard people try golf balls or egg-ish shaped stones as an alternative...

And I'm sure you can buy fake eggs online somewhere if you particularly wanted them.

<waits for someone to come up with a link Smile

>

CP · Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 10:00 am Post subject:

Try this one, but there are plenty more if you search, I expect. Wink

http://www.ascott.biz/item312.htm

Lisa · Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 10:03 am Post subject:

Thanks CP

garymac · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Gateshead

Lisa - Working for joinery manufacturer has it's advantages sometimes...just got a couple of laths and some heavy duty black polythene to darken nestboxes. Will let you know what happens. BTW I was speaking to a "know all" this morning, every firm has at least one, he has 12 hybrids and insists that the birds will not lay in darkened conditions. I tried to explain but to no avail presumably he is talking from the same place as where the eggs come from??[/quote]

CP · Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 11:30 am Post subject:

Gary, if you work with wood, maybe you could make your own fake eggs? Worth a try? Confused

They don't have to be perfect as most hens are fooled by golf balls! Laughing

AFAIK hens prefer to lay in a darkened area, as it is a 'private moment'. Also it helps to prevent any possibility of vent pecking as well. Wink

Maybe your 'know-it-all' friend just can't be bothered, or doesn't want to furnish his flock with all the hi-tech mod cons!!! Laughing

garymac · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Gateshead

garymac · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Gateshead

Lisa - Tried your suggestion of darkening the nesting boxes. Done the work last Sunday and have only lost one egg this week. Even the one that I lost I suspect was not due to beak damage. Many thanks to all you have come up trumps Very Happy

Lisa · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 7:22 pm Post subject:

Glad to hear of your success - brilliant news Very Happy

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

Excellent news garymac. Sometimes egg eating is difficult to stop once it gets a hold ~ you obviously got onto it at the right time