Can You Help Identify?- Steals Eggs, Ignores Chickens

[fishman65]

use a game cam...all will be told...as far as your eggs go i would say a snake..

 

[llaaadyel]

If its a snake, it would have to be a pretty big one. A 3 foot snake can't get its mouth around an egg to eat it. Some rat snakes will get big enough. My guess is that it is something else.

 

[QualityPolish]

I would say a skunk. In rare cases they will take chickens but if an egg is there, they'll take it as first choice.

 

[Laigaie]

Whether the snake would have to be huge in order to eat an egg would depend on the species of snake. I've definitely seen really short, really wide-headed snakes in my yard that could eat an egg or three no problem! That said, pretty much anything that goes after chickens, except dogs, will go after eggs instead if it's smart enough.

 

[mjuenem]

Leave your dogs out and see if you start getting eggs again.

 

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

Since first posting, I have locked them up in the coop both Today and Yesterday, and collected eggs in the evening. Both days I've had 3 eggs. Now I'm really puzzled. My husband is a scientist and he says tomorrow we let them out and see what changes- but he is suspicious of the recent changes in humidity and heavy rains somehow affecting their laying. I don't know... maybe. Skunks are abundant around here, so I'm curious if that's what it is. My West Highland Terrier has spent most of the past two nights hunting out in the yard so I know creatures are afoot- likely she's after the rats and voles, but could be something else too.

I'm nervous because I have chicks in the garage that I am waiting to move out into the coop. I don't want to put them out there and have something gobble them up.

I am curious enough that a game cam sounds appealing- but they look expensive so I just don't know if it is worth a few lost eggs. If I let the chickens out and see another decline and stop getting eggs in the evening I may just crack and have to get one.

I will try letting the girls out tomorrow and leaving the coop open, and we'll see what happens. The forecast is bright and sunny- so if it really was a change in weather affecting their laying over the past several weeks and I'm being paranoid, maybe we'll find out. My husband will laugh.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I disagree. We have a zillion snakes here on the coast of SC. I have seen small snakes eat large chicken eggs- they have a curious ability to "unhinge" their jaws to swallow large objects. It's really disconcerting when you reach for an egg and there's a snake in the process of swallowing it!

 

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

I disagree. We have a zillion snakes here on the coast of SC. I have seen small snakes eat large chicken eggs- they have a curious ability to "unhinge" their jaws to swallow large objects. It's really disconcerting when you reach for an egg and there's a snake in the process of swallowing it!

AH! This is my worst nightmare! I have chills just thinking about it

 

[winston10015]

A snake is probably stealing your eggs. I had the same scenario just last few weeks and it turned out to be a rat snake. They don't typically harm the chickens. They are just after the eggs. I also have three chickens, two of which are old enough to lay and I was losing an egg a day here and there. Sure enough the dog sniffed out a snake in the yard near the chicken coop one day. I couldn't believe I never saw the snake before and thought of all the times I stick my hand in there to gather eggs...EEEK!

 

[freeingup]

I see your post is quite old but want to ask if you ever figured it out. I too have the same issue. I know it is not snakes (at least I have never seen or heard of snakes where I live) or all the other mentioned critters. Unlike you my girls have a coop with a fully covered run. I let them in my yard when I come home from work. This problem of the missing eggs started about 6 weeks ago. One day I looked in the coop and saw an egg. I thought "oh I will gather it tomorrow with more eggs". The following day it was gone. The nest was empty. Since that day I have not gathered even one egg. My run is covered on the top as well.

I am so mystified.....