A strange case

[Balloonjuice]

My 24 Red Stars free range. So, to discourage them from laying eggs all over my property (about 30 acres, mostly wooded), I placed one ceramic egg in each nesting box. I have eight nesting boxes, so eight ceramic eggs.

I went out to the hen house this morning and one of the ceramic eggs is missing. I've looked all over the floor of the hen house thinking one of the girls decided to kick it out of the box, but there is no sign of it anywhere.

My hen house is pretty much predator proof EGGCEPT for snakes. We do have Texas Rat Snakes on the property and more than a few have met their demise from gunshot wounds and cat attacks. Is it possible that a snake came into the hen house and swallowed a ceramic egg? Has anyone an experience with the strange case of a missing ceramic egg (or door knob)?

 

[Wisher1000]

Yes, it happens to me on a regular basis. I use golf balls now because the ceramic eggs were expensive. The snake will die, but you will not likely find your egg.

 

[Balloonjuice]

Interesting, Wisher. Thanks for the info and the idea. There is a golf course a few miles down the hiway. I'll stop and see if they'll sell me a bucket of lost and found golf balls.