0
OH how I hate when that happens, the hens find out that eggs taste good and start eating them.
There are a few maintenance things that need to be checked and a couple tricks to get those naughty girls back in order.
First nutrition, make sure you are feeding your hens a formulated layer diet, usually 16 to 18 percent protein with some sort of calcium supplement added.
Not having enough protein or calcium in their diet will trigger them into eating eggs which are both protein filled and calcium rich.
Offer extra calcium in the form of oyster shell, if the eggs are soft for lack of calcium they might be breaking in the nest when the hens jump in and out.
And for a short time, maybe a week, offer extra protein in the way of yogurt or milk, stir a little into their feed to make a wet dough.
Next, make sure their nest boxes are about 3 ft off the ground, if a hungry hen can see the eggs and reach in to get it she will eat it.
These are all the maintenance things to do.
Now the trick
Get as many eggs as you have nests.
with a sharp nail or screw make a hole on the top and bottom of the egg. Take a wooden or metal skewer or stick and stir up the egg inside.
Blow out the contents of the egg, use it for scrambled eggs or make a cake.
Now fill the empty egg shells with dish soap and cover the holes with a little glue or tape.
Place the trick eggs in the nests.
Once the hens get the soap in their mouths it won't be long before they stop eating the eggs.
During this process it will be very important for you to go out and collect the good eggs every 2 hours or so, so that the only egg available to the hens will be the trick egg.
Good Luck!!!!
Wiki User
∙ 16y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoYou can stop hens from pecking each other by debeaking which is the partial removal of the beak from the hen. The instrument used is called Debeaker. *** This is an act of last resort. If you have recently introduced new birds, this may be temporary but it may be that they require a better diet OR they are overcrowded. Try extending coop or giving them more free range time and make sure you have a couple of little sheltered hidey holes for birds to shelter,so they can withdraw and let Mrs Bully get distracted with something else. Also, give them some entertainment - open pinecones, filled with rolled oat porridge,etc.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoEgg eating is a really nasty habit that can quickly spread through the entire flock. To prevent and/or discourage it, make sure
1-The chickens are not overcrowded
2-The chickens are well cared for and have fresh, clean food and water at all times
3-The chickens have plenty of calcium and Vitamin D in their feed
4-The chickens are kept in a safe, clean environment
5-The chickens' nests are padded adequately with two inches of padding and are darkened
If a chicken has already started egg eating,
1-Take them away from the flock
2-Feed the chickens a bit of milk once a day until the egg eating stops
3-Gather eggs more frequently
4-In a mixing bowl, combine a raw egg with one to two teaspoons of ground pepper and mix. Pour the mixture on the floor so the birds will eat it, and the bad taste may reduce egg eating.
5-As a last resort--and ONLY IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL--beak trim the birds. A veterinarian can do this for you if you wish.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoIf she is setting on eggs she will cluck until they hatch and the chicks are about four weeks old. (7 weeks)
If she isn't setting or you want her to stop setting remove every egg.
She should stop on about a week
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoThere is no way to stop a chicken from laying eggs; It's nature's way.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoroad kill
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Hens fighting how to stop it?
Hens will fight to establish a pecking order. Eventually they will stop fighting when they have established who is top hen. If they do not, the two culprits must be separated. Over crowding can also cause fighting.
Why are the chickens pecking each others bottom and how to stop it?
Because they are molting or they are at the bottom of the pecking order and I would take them out of the flock but then after they return the flock will treat it badly and the pecking order will change and it might be messy.
Why do hens peck at another hens head?
Usually, it's just because he is mating with the hen. The rooster will mate by standing on the hen's back and holding on to her neck feathers with his beak. Roosters usually don't actually attack hens.
Should you use bits on your chickens to stop them pecking?
I Personally do not think you should, but if the pecking is a very large problem, that draws blood or that is preventing you from caring for them, you can get ones that stop them pecking people and still let them eat :)
Is there something I can put on my checkens so they don't peck the back feathers off each other?
Put a small amount of vinegar in their drinking water and they wuill hopefully stop pecking each other. I got this from tipking.co.ok, so don't blame me if it doesn't work!
How do you get hens to lay?
There is no really proven answer. Age and diet seem to have have a lot to do with it. Chickens tend to start laying at 6 months to 1 year old. Not sure about other hen species. If a hen (chicken) seems to just stop laying I change her diet and try different types of greens. Some seasoned farmers once told me to hang cabbage in my hens cage. Hanging it in pecking range. This sometimes works, but always makes the hens more active and seemingly happier.
What is a milk block that is used to stop chickens from pecking each other?
A hatchery uses mineral block that is similar to milk block. People who raise chicken find this method more humane than debeaking.
What do you do when your horse drives off other horses?
Except for separating them there is little you can do to stop this behavior. Pecking order is the unspoken law of the horse world developed over millions of years and is firmly entrentched. It is the way these herd animals relate to each other.
How do you stop chickens fighting?
This problem usually but not always indicated a lack of room. Give the hens more space to roost and the problem should correct itself. If one aggressive hen is attacking several other hens it is sometimes best to cull the offending hen.
What does it mean a brood of hens?
When a hen goes broody she is ready and willing to sit on a clutch of eggs. She will lay some of her own and in many cases she will roll eggs from other hens under herself. She will stop all other activities for 21 day at this point and will refuse to leave the nest for more than a few minutes each day to eat,drink and defaecate.
What is debeaking in poultry management?
it is when the tips of the birds beak is removed to stop pecking and canablism
How do you stop finch birds from pecking each other?
I use a bunch of strings knotted together to give birds something else to peck on. Many pet shops sell a "bird tranquilizer" which has fibers sticking out of a wooden bead. The strings work just as well.
