skinner 348 Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 perhaps one of the chickens is the culprit,common enough to end up with an egg eater amongst them and a b*****d to stop once they got the taste for it although there are few methods you can try to put a stop to it. you beat me to this one, we had one and had to neck it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malt 379 Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 perhaps one of the chickens is the culprit,common enough to end up with an egg eater amongst them and a b*****d to stop once they got the taste for it although there are few methods you can try to put a stop to it.eat the fooker :laugh:yes that is the preferred method as all the tips i was given to stop it failed miserably Untill a few weeks ago I would have suggested the pot as well. But, We tried filling some eggshells with Mustard, cayenne pepper and anything 'hot' from the kitchen cupboard. We instantly went up to 6 eggs the next day, then 3 days later 10 out of our 10 hens! Now we are consistantly getting 7 or 8 a day, so think we've 'cured' it! Wouldn't have believed it if I had been told about it, but it worked for us fair play but to be honest i was already fed up with it,if id stuck it out that would have been my next move,china eggs and blacking out the nest boxes was waste of time glad you sorted it I was surprised it worked....but it seems to have done the trick! Next step was to clear space in the freezer, but that has been avoided.....for now. Surprised that worked as birds can't taste hot or spicey foods .........Thats true, that's why chilli peppers (or the ancestor of the modern cultivated ones anyway..) evolved the heat. It stops mammals eating them and destroying the seeds by chewing them while the birds eat them and disperse the seeds intact in their droppings.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,505 Posted May 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 perhaps one of the chickens is the culprit,common enough to end up with an egg eater amongst them and a b*****d to stop once they got the taste for it although there are few methods you can try to put a stop to it.eat the fooker :laugh:yes that is the preferred method as all the tips i was given to stop it failed miserably Untill a few weeks ago I would have suggested the pot as well. But, We tried filling some eggshells with Mustard, cayenne pepper and anything 'hot' from the kitchen cupboard. We instantly went up to 6 eggs the next day, then 3 days later 10 out of our 10 hens! Now we are consistantly getting 7 or 8 a day, so think we've 'cured' it! Wouldn't have believed it if I had been told about it, but it worked for us fair play but to be honest i was already fed up with it,if id stuck it out that would have been my next move,china eggs and blacking out the nest boxes was waste of time glad you sorted it I was surprised it worked....but it seems to have done the trick! Next step was to clear space in the freezer, but that has been avoided.....for now. Surprised that worked as birds can't taste hot or spicey foods .........Thats true, that's why chilli peppers (or the ancestor of the modern cultivated ones anyway..) evolved the heat. It stops mammals eating them and destroying the seeds by chewing them while the birds eat them and disperse the seeds intact in their droppings.. Wouldnt have thought it was one of the chickens as they would have just eaten them in the nest box rather than take two out ? Still fancy the squirrel theory or maybe it is a rat. Anyhow today ive been checking regularly and have taken the eggs out. Only have the 6 birds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,505 Posted May 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 None taken today. I penned the birds in today so they all had access to the nest boxes and all laid and no eggs eaten so I don't think it's the birds. I'll exclude them tomorrow and leave a couple of eggs in the nest box along with a 'little present' for whatever is visiting lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Huan72 687 Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 How about a weasel, they are notorious egg thieves! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
iworkwhippets 12,247 Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 Could be a hedgehog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobcullen79 1,495 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 A well known top tip for stopping squirrels stealing your bird food is to sprinkle curry powder or chilli over the seed as the birds can't taste it but the squirrel can ??????? I wonder if it has owt to do with the scoville scale, mustard out of a jar is hotter than say dry, uncooked curry spices. Poultry spice, looks and smells just like a curry blend, but the hens love it.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,191 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 Polecat or ferret ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lab 10,979 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 Polecat or ferret ? Lol..... He'd be wondering what happened to the chickens not the eggs if that was the case!!.:-) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malt 379 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 A well known top tip for stopping squirrels stealing your bird food is to sprinkle curry powder or chilli over the seed as the birds can't taste it but the squirrel can ??????? I wonder if it has owt to do with the scoville scale, mustard out of a jar is hotter than say dry, uncooked curry spices. Poultry spice, looks and smells just like a curry blend, but the hens love it..Its to do with taste receptors, birds lack the ones that give mammals the heat sensation you get from eating spices. The spice evolved as a natural deterrent to mammals.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,191 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 Polecat or ferret ? Lol..... He'd be wondering what happened to the chickens not the eggs if that was the case!!.:-) I know,maybe it's a slow one ,lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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