Something is getting my eggs!

We have our chickens in our old dog pen outside. We have never had any problems of anything getting our eggs until recently. One of our hens is going broody and has been sitting on her eggs for sometime. The other day my husband went outside and found only a few eggs. She had ~12 eggs. He did find some shells on top of the coop







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| | B |door leading into coop A | door coming from yard
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B this area when the door is open the chicken walk all around the pen. However in the
first entrance A we have a dog house that we also have some hens w/eggs. These
have not been disturbed, only in the coop B.

This morning I found two empty eggs (shell only) on top of the coop, and inside next to the
broody one, were two empty shells.

My husband found some "gray" hair not sure if it is a squirrel or rat. Either way, we want to do
something so that they will not get any more. I bought more chicken wire to place around it with
smaller holes.

Sounds much like an issue I am having only I am seeing the culprit, an oppossum.

Time to gather a .22, a live trap, or the old apple in a trashcan with a board trap.... I haven't gotten my guy yet.

Good Luck!

Shawn

The can does sound good. I might try that. When my husband looked at the paw prints, he thinks it could be a raccoon. But wouldn't that kill the chickens?

Coons normally do, but it is hard to tell. Good Luck!

Dumb question.....? If I get the trash can filled with water and an apple - can the coon get out???

Better google it, because to date, I have caught nothing yet this way....