Need Black Australorp chicks to replace egg eaters

[Beekissed]

I've got some sad news for you...if you have even one chicken you are feeding an egg eater. They are all potential egg eaters and are opportunistic eaters. About twice each year there are opportunities. Twice a year for many a long year I am feeding egg eaters....briefly. Then the opportunities pass, as always, and I still have egg eaters who have no more opportunity.

It's a natural, inborn instinct for the chickens to clean up their nests. It is always going to happen and you will always, at one time or another, be feeding "egg-eaters". Good luck on never having one or trying to cull your flocks around this instinct each year...might as well throw your money down the toilet and give a big ol' flushy.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Gee, Thanks. I guess you missed the part where I wrote that it's been MONTHS since I had a decent production day. I'm familiar with chickens, having had them for several years, and this is the first time I've only gotten 3-10% production from my girls, except in winter. Which it's not.

 

[Beekissed]

Then I guess it's not an "egg-eater" problem and instead a poor layer production problem. A person could understand your problem if it were communicated properly....the title nor the posts belabors the fact that your chickens no longer produce, but it is very heavy on the fact that you feel they are eating all the eggs that are produced.

If I missed that small detail it is because it was not exactly emphasized, now was it? If you have had chickens for such a long time, surely you knew about the cycle of lay and that it could result in chickens cleaning up the eggs that break or are laid without shells in the nest. Why call them "egg eaters", specifically, if you knew so much about it all? Why not just call them free loaders? And, how can they be eating eggs if they are not laying any eggs? Curious....

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Dear Curious:

The eggs are being laid but are being eaten. Pretty obvious when there's leftover yolk on any remaining eggs.

I didn't ask for help in stopping the egg eaters. I asked for black australorp chicks to replace my egg eaters.

Wrong side of the bed today?

Done.

 

[Beekissed]

Same side you rolled out on....

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

You're right. Looking for answers here, in between my kid having 2 seizures before leaving for school, wind going since 9 p.m. last night gusting over 50 mph and blowing everything around, goats terrified, husband with a cancer scare, and now you. You're absolutely right, I got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning because I haven't slept.

Thanks to everyone else who offered wonderful information.