Something's stealing eggs

[cleoppa]

I have two wooden eggs--one in the nest box in the pen and one in their favorite nest in my backyard. Two times in the last couple days I've found the wooden egg out in the middle of the yard. The first time I found it was at night. But today I found it during the day and I THINK I'd checked the nest just a few hours before, so whatever it was stole the egg in broad daylight, with chickens and dogs about (though not at the same time). The egg is rather scratched up. It was... maybe 20 or 30 feet from where I'd left it.

I don't smell anything and I don't see any fragments of eggs. I live in the city so I doubt it's foxes or something.... rats, cats, possums, maybe raccoon... I did have rats (in my house) a month ago, but I'm pretty sure they're gone now, between poison and traps. Besides not hearing them or having them eat stuff, I have a high-prey Dachshund who lets me know when he smells them around.

What should I do? Should I sprinkle cayenne or mint in the nest? I hear that's not too well liked by rats and such.

Anyone know what this is?

 

[zazouse]

Got any squirrels around, they like eggs.

 

[fried green eggs]

My hens have moved my plaster fake eggs out of the nesting box and out of the coop. More than once have found the fake eggs in the run sometimes, 30 feet form the pop door and ramp.

 

[cleoppa]

I think I figured it out! Maybe.

My dog just brought it into the house!

This is a very weird dog who doesn't often play with toys and I've never seen drag things around the yard. But he thought this was a cool toy.

So... either he's been moving it around the yard or he thought it smelled good because something else had been dragging it around.

But maybe it was my dog..