Egg rollers

Three years ago when I started chicken keeping with big girls I bought an egg skelter. I liked the idea that as you add fresh eggs to the top of the skelter and take the older eggs from the bottom you know that you are always using them in order. I thought it worked very well.

Then I had a mix of big girls and bantams but as the bantam eggs were wedged between the big eggs it still worked reasonably well.

Last year I made the change over to all bantams and now that all eight are laying and the eggs are abundant again I found the skelter no longer worked for so many small eggs. I was having to tease the eggs down the skelter each time I took some from the bottom as they are too small to roll and sometimes they tip up vertically and drop through the track. It was time for a change.

I did a bit of research and could have bought another skelter with slightly narrower tracks but I wasn’t convinced this would make enough of a difference. I didn’t like the look of the ramps which are in a horseshoe shape. Then I found some rollers which are straight and solid and designed for very small eggs. As they are solid the eggs can’t fall through and the slight slope allows them to roll.

They don’t take up much space and are very inexpensive. They are supposed to take eight eggs each so I ordered three which would hold as many as a skelter and even three plus postage was less cost than one skelter.

I offered my skelter to Jackie and took it to her on my visit yesterday. Jackie was really pleased with it and I was pleased to give it a good home.

Today the egg rollers arrived and they work really well with the eggs rolling down easily. They also hold nine of my small eggs. I am really pleased with them.

My new egg rollers

Egg rollers from another angle

This is such a simple idea and will make selecting the eggs really quick and easy. Sometimes a simple change can make something so much better.