OK, I give up!!! Does anybody have a clue?

[kcfuerst]

Unfortunately, I have an egg eater, or maybe more than one, on my hands and I can't figure out who it is. Just graduated to losing about 3 eggs a day. I'm losing my mind.

I need to know what the best kind of camera to buy might be. I would like to have a wireless motion activated digital surveillance DVR security camera, but I need one that will take at least 6 hours of video while I'm at work. I want to mount it to see the nests during the day.

My brain is on overload trying to shop for what I need. Does anyone have anything they would recommend??

Thanks ever so much in advance for any assistance. And if this is the wrong place for this post, please forgive me and point me in the right direction so I can re-post.

 

[SGM]

Best advice I can tell you is the nest boxes that once a chicken goes in to lay it closes and traps her. If she eats the egg while she's in there stretch her neck. Unfortunatetly, if you've got more than one doing it, it can be harder to pin point all the ones doing it. Sometimes you can be lucky and just remove the bad birds from the flock and then go back to normal. At other times you can remove the bad bird(s) and find the behavior was learned by other birds. Depending on the size of your flock, you may be better off replacing them.

I have 4 RIR/Red Sex-Link hens. I got them free off Craigslist and they weren't laying when I got them. I put them on layer and hoped for the best. Truly at the time all I needed was some bug patrol in the yard. They served that purpose easily once we let them out after getting use to life here. Lucky for me they did start laying again though they are obviously pass their prime. I get 1-2 eggs a day and occasionally none a day. Unfortunately one is an egg eatter. I've yet to figure out who but I don't worry myself too much about it since its only 4 birds and I've already got their replacements.

The replacements are chicks ordered back in August who'll be laying soon enough. The egg or two I do manage to collect is working for now out of the 4 exisiting hens. I will either give the 4 free range hens away or I may even just let them stay. They will NEVER be mixed with my replacement birds though since I don't want the bad behavior transferred to my new birds. My new birds are big already but a ways to go before they'll be laying.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think this could go here or in any of several categories, Chicken Behaviors and Egg Laying, Predators and Pests, or Managing Your Flock for example, or it can stay here. I don't think that is real important. What I think would help is something actually descriptive in your title. OK, I give up!!! Does anybody have a clue? does not tell me that this has anything to do with a wireless motion activated digital surveillance DVR security camera There are a lot of people on this forum that use surveillance cameras and are very knowledgeable about them. I am not one of them.

May I suggest you edit your post and change the title to something like "Need Suggestion For Surveillance Camera" so the people that know surveillance cameras might notice it.

Good luck! I've had an egg eater and it can be frustrating to find out which one it is.

 

[Mtn Cur]

My first thought would be to buy a trail camera like http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?hvarSearchString=trail+camera&storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&CMID=TOP_SEARCH_GO

It would be a still picture and not a video. But I think it might get the job done with less money. Something else to think about is by the time you buy a video camera (wireless) and a dvr, you could probably come out cheaper just buying new chickens. Jmo hope the trail camera helps.

 

[HorizonSon]

 

[dsqard]

You could try getting those roll away nests. They keep the chickens from getting the eggs once they are laid. If you do a search for them I am sure you can get more information. They might be less expensive than trail cameras or video equipment.

 

[Lollipop]

Suggestion for ya. Next day off, take a couple eggs out and put them in the most obvious nest. Be sure the flock sees what you have in your hand. Sit down on a comfy bucket or lawn chair and watch for a short time. Usually the alure will get swift action...........Pop

 

[NHchicks]

Are you sure the hens aren't molting, resulting in fewer eggs, or that the change in light is resulting in fewer eggs? Are you sure you have an egg eater?

 

[kcfuerst]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

Yes, positive have an egg eater(s). I have found empty soft eggs on the roost and a yolky mess in the nests all over other eggs. I found one Delaware with egg on the top of her beak, but not absolutely positive she's the only one of if she's the one.

I loved the axe idea.

I will work on changing the title of this topic as soon as I figure out how.

And the roll away nest is a perfect idea, but I will have to wait for that until I have more ca$h. I have three new girls who just started laying (their eggs may be the soft ones). I certainly do hope they are not the ones eating eggs.

And yes, some of my 18 month old hens are beginning to molt. Out of 8 of those, only four are laying regularly.

I have wooden eggs laying around in the nests thinking they could peck all they want on those and get discouraged. I guess they know the difference by now.

Thanks again and I'm open to all suggestions.

 

[bangolure]

in the past i have seen that if you leave eggs in the nest too long this can happen!.. we have gone out say at noon! got the eggs! if i waited till 3or 4p would have bad results!!.. if you know the times their laying get them up sooner!