Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1875 — Hens Eating Eggs—A Cure. [ARTICLE]

Hens Eating Eggs—A Cure.

A correspondent of the Poultry Bulletin says: Having seen the question asked how to cure hens from eating eggs, and having been pul to my wital ena to devise some means to stop them, I finally, by accident, hit upon a plan that I have never known to fail. One great trouble with many breeders is, they make their hens’ nest too large, and Brahmas and Cochins the nests are near the ground, and in many cases the eggs are in view of the lien. This was the case with my nests. Having tried every available stuff, such as pepper, mustard, turpentine, and everything I could hear of, hut no cure, I then took a common nail-keg, cut it in two, or a piece about eight inches high, and placed it in the box where the hens laid. I then put in an egg; the old hen mounted the nest or keg and tried to reach the egg, standings on the edge of the keg, but it was no go; she then got down in the keg, but that was a failure, for she did not have room to get at the egg; after trying for some time she gave it up as a bad job. I have never have had an egg eaten by the hens since then; all of the nests in my coops have a piece of a keg in the boa, and have parts of kegs for nests. Do n*'t makethem too deep, but deep enough so that 9 the hen cannot reach the bottom when standing on the edge of the keg. You that are troubled with hens eating their eggs, by plan; it costs but little, and I think you will nevi r regret the trouble it will be to outwit the old hen.