No Wyandotte Eggs

I have our main cohort of Gold Laced and Blue Laced Red Wyandottes in one section of a newer coop.  These are mostly our older hens and a BLRW rooster we recently acquired.  Most of them were molting when they were moved together for the winter which meant great egg production wasn't expected.  During the last few weeks I've come across an occasional egg shell in the bedding.  I've never been able to get this bunch to lay in the nesting boxes so an occasional floor egg getting stepped on would not be unusual.  Today I was unloading some hay on a trailer next to the run when a hen burst out of the coop with an egg in her beak.  The rooster soon followed along with many of the other hens.  In the past I've culled the chickens that were eating eggs, but this is a group I was counting on in a big way and includes a BIS Large Fowl.  Fortunately I have a couple nice blue hens and a few GLW pullets in another coop.  I had a hard time finding a suitable BLRW rooster and hate to put in him down.  Any suggestions?

Pack an egg with cayenne pepper  or take a partiallyfrozen egg and dip it in a couple coats if wax laced with cayenne pepper. Both these tricks worked for me. The frozen egg works well because when you do this they have to pick the wax off and they don't like the taste. With the egg being partially frozen, it does not break as easy. Don't freeze it to the point of cracking or it defeats the purpose.

You can also try to isolate the breaker and the others may leave the eggs alone!

I'm going to try one of these suggestions, Smokyriver. Thanks. I know one hen is laying in the nesting box, but I'm not sure which one. I will have to move a trio to make isolation space.

hi Rosewood,, would you please let us know how it goes? I am real curious. Years ago my Mum in NZ had a problem with the foxie (dog, named Person of all things  ) who would help himself to the chicken eggs. They blew it out and mixed the cayenne pepper into the egg mix, and I don't know how they got it back in there (maybe a syringe) but it worked really well   Hope it works out for you too.

I have often thought how cool it would be to have a little surveillance camera in the coop directed at the laying boxes so I could see who has started laying.  I have obsessive compulsive need to know disorder!

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I have 4 very nice BLRW roosters...they are slated for the butcher this spring because i am not interested in producing this breed...but these guys are gorgeous. from Heidi at the coast

Bigrock wrote:I have 4 very nice BLRW roosters...they are slated for the butcher this spring because i am not interested in producing this breed...but these guys are gorgeous. from Heidi at the coast

Thanks, I will keep this in mind. Most of my hens come from Heidi's stock so I'm more likely to want a rooster from another source.

rosewood wrote:

Bigrock wrote:I have 4 very nice BLRW roosters...they are slated for the butcher this spring because i am not interested in producing this breed...but these guys are gorgeous. from Heidi at the coast

Thanks, I will keep this in mind.  Most of my hens come from Heidi's stock so I'm more likely to want a rooster from another source.

I don't know where Heidi got her birds from but I know Murray McMurray hatchery has them and they got their stock from a breeder in the States who stopped breeding them. I know that there is a general leaning away from hatchery birds so maybe this is not your cup of tea but I did notice it and thought to share. I like to read what hatcheries say about the different breeds. And I am fond of the BLRW which is why I was looking specifically for info on them :-).

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/blue_laced_red_wyandotte.html

The first BLRWs I had were from McMurrays.  They were very friendly birds, but they did not have the vivid colours or size I wanted.  After the BLRWs were introduced or reintroduced to North America a breeder or breeders bred them with GLWs to increase numbers quickly.  The cross to the GLWs diluted the colours and in my opinion led to a loss of size.  I'm one of those people leaning away from hatchery poultry.  Heidi imported her stock from several US breeders.

there is so much to learn about all the breeds! I must confess, I have a rooster who happens to be from McMurray's. Not because I set out to get one but because he was surplus for someone who bought in a bunch of other chicks to raise from there and he was the mystery extra that they put into the bunch. She was going to cull him for the freezer and I thought I'd have him and do the same if he turned out nasty. I have grown fairly fond of him - and am leaning away from the single comb breeds, even the big beautiful black australorp. I don't doubt the colors could get better but I just love those tweeds he is wearing! What a display. I saw a very beautiful rooster on line today, not a hatchery bird. His colors were indeed very bright, much brighter than Dude's. Do you know what chicken breeds/type/color went in to the breeding history of the BLRW's? - how did they arrive on those brilliant feather effects? please indulge the ignorant newbie   I couldn't find an icon for begging and hope that cheering works.

I was told that chickens to not taste hot, spicy things. Don't know if it is true or not, but was told the whole spicy thing doesn't work because it doesn't affect them like us, or dogs for that matter.

The only way I have found is to get rid of the culprit. You have to watch carefully as once the egg is broken they will all partake, but usually it is only one hen doing the breaking.

I have only had trouble with it twice before and last time I was systematically removing birds to try and find who was doing it. I suspected one of my young pullets because I had never had trouble before in this flock. Each bird I removed it continued and continued and I saw egg on many faces. It was driving me crazy!!! Finally I happened to see my 3 year old BCMarans girl watching a hen lay and in she popped right after and opened the egg. I was so disappointed!! When I got rid of her it all stopped even though all the others jumped on the band wagon when it was broken.

She had just gone through a heavy moult as well, so you may try supplementing with a bunch of protein for a bit and see it that stops it. I only know one, true cure and it is the one you don't want to hear.
Good luck with it.

Magdelan wrote:Do you know what chicken breeds/type/color went in to the breeding history of the BLRW's? - how did they arrive on those brilliant feather effects? please indulge the ignorant newbie cheers  I couldn't find an icon for begging and hope that cheering works.

Tara had a great post about the origin of this breed- https://wcps.canadian-forum.com/t8567-blue-laced-gold-and-blue-laced-red-wyandotte-colour-genetics-thereof-with-photos

I was also told chickens - birds in general -can't taste hot/spicy things, which is why if you have a squirrel problem at your bird feeder coating the seed with cayenne for a bit reprograms the squirrels but not the birds.

So now I'm confused.

I use the porcelain eggs Premier sells - they fool everyone (me included, I had to put a little mark on them to not keep collecting them time and time again) and the birds are good about laying in those nests with porcelain eggs in them but I do have problems with egg eaters sometimes all the same.

rosewood wrote:

Magdelan wrote:Do you know what chicken breeds/type/color went in to the breeding history of the BLRW's? - how did they arrive on those brilliant feather effects? please indulge the ignorant newbie cheers  I couldn't find an icon for begging and hope that cheering works.

Tara had a great post about the origin of this breed- https://wcps.canadian-forum.com/t8567-blue-laced-gold-and-blue-laced-red-wyandotte-colour-genetics-thereof-with-photos

thanks Rosewood. Good grief. Got to get my act together on this genetic thing pronto. Right now I am just doing eggs and meat for the family so no need to have the perfect sop chicken but one day I just might have a go at working on a breed, I have too much to learn! Want to get that book (SOP) first and still yet to work out what breed I like.

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Magdelan wrote:Good grief. Got to get my act together on this genetic thing pronto

Maybe some day I will as well, but Tara is a great resource. I do have some fake eggs in the nesting boxes.

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According to the studying I've done in the past, Coopslave you're quite right - chickens have very few tastebuds at all, so taste mightn't be much of a deterrent.  However mustard has a strong smell or at least fumes  , and I bet that goes right up their beak and into their head like a great big Wasabi blast!!

bigrock wrote:I have 4 very nice BLRW roosters...they are slated for the butcher this spring because i am not interested in producing this breed...but these guys are gorgeous.  from Heidi at the coast

Peggy, at Okanagan poultry processing (kelowna) has a date open on the 18th December for a few more birds for processing.  I am taking some down on that date, wanna send some with me??  Oops, sorry Rosewood, took off on your post.  bigrock email me.  Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

HigginsRAT wrote:
 
I think I shall have to try and capture the distaste that Dijon mustard paste causes chickens.  
 
Yeh, sounds cruel I suppose but I've watched them shake their heads in disgust with bills full of Dijon and QUIT eating "eggs."  Cured.
Tara

Bwwwah, I can't wait to see those pictures of the flinging heads!! I bet all we see is a blur, as the chicken flips its head from side to side, bring on the pics, you mean ol' gal! Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

I believe chickens have a sense of smell. I have seen chickens time and time again, when I give them certain things, go look real close at it and walk away. I am positive they are sniffing it, whatever it is that they don't like. But studies, that really probably is the proof, but I don't believe it have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

HigginsRAT wrote:

rosewood wrote:

Magdelan wrote:Good grief. Got to get my act together on this genetic thing pronto

Maybe some day I will as well, but Tara is a great resource.  I do have some fake eggs in the nesting boxes.

 
 
That is kind of you to say Rosewood.  
 
I have overwhelmed Magdelan a few times already--I think she is getting close to the point where she runs screaming from the room...  
 
Tara

too funny Tara, not quite running away but definitely taking a deep breath    I'll dive in to it very soon and take a good long swim until I can at least say I got the basics and have dog paddle down pat.  It is beginning to play in my mind and that is a good sign.  You really are a great resource, so much knowledge in you  -  I know many books have been written but it could be done again as a story (with lots of pictures :-) so kids like me can get the teaching in a way that makes it easy and not too intellectual.  I'm a picture story person.  Just throwing that out there . . .   Also be cool to have photographic trails of your journey with the bantam chantecler project and all involved  -  the why's of your process because I believe you will have your cake and the boopy too    Not quite sure what the boopy is but I know it means EVERYTHING!  success is in your future  -  I'm psychic you know   I'm thinking in terms of not on the internet because it is so vulnerable and there is nothing quite like having a book in your hands that you can smell and . . . ooooo, hijacking again.  

After reading that article on BLRW I now understand just how much you will be hoping to keep your "ex-egg-eating" (eee's) chickens Rosewood.  You probably have a lot invested already.   There has to be success in that coop! I just love the BLRW chickens.

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I had a really big problem with egg eating last year and I took them off grower with free choice oyster and put them on Layer with free choice oyster. As long as they have the oyster and layer ration, it's a non-issue.

I feed them cayanne pepper if I hear any persistent coughing or watery breathing, and they devour it, so I can nigh guarantee they are uneffected by the spice. I can see when they peck the egg, there nose would go through and it would get in their nose, which would likely burn.

I also feed older eggs or overly dirty ones to them. I boil them up and smash them, eggs and all, until the shells are unrecognizable, and it hasnt been an issue since getting them on layer along with the free choice oyster.