Chicken eggs dissappear and cickens don't want to go into coop

[Monika S]

I've been thinking that one of my chickens is eating their eggs... not all of them, just some.. sometimes there are shells left, sometimes not.. then I started noticing that my girls are not going into their coop at night anymore. Today I discovered a hole the size of a softball under the fence of their run. The hole was dug from the outside in, not from the inside out. What would eat my eggs, but leave my girls unharmed?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just because something might eat your chickens doesn’t mean they will every time. Skunks and possums often prefer the eggs. They will still kill chickens, especially at night on the roosts, but during the day the chickens can see them and avoid them. Eggs are easier. Even a raccoon might choose eggs over the chickens, during the day especially.

What shape were he egg shells you found in? Were they shattered into little chips or were they maybe in halves? A skunk usually breaks the eggs in half and licks the egg out of them, leaving the shells like maybe chicks hatched out of them. A possum usually shatters the shells. A raccoon will shatter them but will often carry them of a short distance before it eats the egg, maybe looking for a bit of a hiding spot.

Possums rarely come out before dusk and usually are back to bed about sunrise. Skunks and raccoons will hunt during the daylight. It’s also possible that your chickens are cleaning up the shells, or most of them.

A canine like a fox, coyote, or dog might eat the eggs and not leave much of a trace, but a fox or coyote should be more interested in your chickens. A dog or fox is a possibility but I think not very likely.

My guess is a raccoon or skunk is visiting after some of the eggs are laid and leaving for the rest of the day. Can you see any tracks or strange poop that might help you identify it? Is there a skunky smell?

 

[16 paws]

I've been thinking that one of my chickens is eating their eggs... not all of them, just some.. sometimes there are shells left, sometimes not.. then I started noticing that my girls are not going into their coop at night anymore. Today I discovered a hole the size of a softball under the fence of their run. The hole was dug from the outside in, not from the inside out. What would eat my eggs, but leave my girls unharmed?

I have squirrels that I think have been trying to take my eggs. I find them in random spots and even found some out on the lawn a few feet from the coop. I have also had some chickens that eat the eggs once in a while. Try putting golf balls in with the eggs. They will soon be discouraged from trying to peck the eggs.
Good luck....
Marie

 

[Monika S]

Thank you so much for your responds. This has to happen after 8 pm (the last time I check for eggs) and 7:30 am when I pick up the eggs first time in the morning and feed them. So I think it's dawn when something goes in the coop, cause I doubt they lay after 8 pm... I don't think it happens during the day, cause my evening eggs are usually unharmed and I live in city limits. I also don't think it's a skunk.. I would think I would notice a smell left behind? If it's a raccoon, it wouldn't eat the chickens? I thought they would go on killing sprees just to kill. I am planning on putting bricks around the run... maybe downwards and then one sideways. Hopefully that will discourage them from digging under it. Scared for my girls! :-(
Oh and I have seen egg shells that were like a chick hatched, but I have seen them completely shattered too and the egg smeared all over the floor of the nesting box

 

[16 paws]

Thank you so much for your responds. This has to happen after 8 pm (the last time I check for eggs) and 7:30 am when I pick up the eggs first time in the morning and feed them. So I think it's dawn when something goes in the coop, cause I doubt they lay after 8 pm... I don't think it happens during the day, cause my evening eggs are usually unharmed and I live in city limits. I also don't think it's a skunk.. I would think I would notice a smell left behind? If it's a raccoon, it wouldn't eat the chickens? I thought they would go on killing sprees just to kill. I am planning on putting bricks around the run... maybe downwards and then one sideways. Hopefully that will discourage them from digging under it. Scared for my girls! :-(
Oh and I have seen egg shells that were like a chick hatched, but I have seen them completely shattered too and the egg smeared all over the floor of the nesting box

Make sure you look at their beaks as often as you can. That is how I busted my egg-eater, she had yolk on her beak

 

[Monika S]

I don't think it's the girls, cause there was a hole to the inside of the run (and I leave the coop open.. or at least I did so far). For tonight I put bricks around the bottom of my main fence and then I put bricks around the area of the run where whatever got in, got it. Hopefully this will deter whatever got in and I don't have to do anything else. I want my girls to feel safe to go into the coop, yet not have to close it up on them. It gets soooo hot in there. :-(

 

[Dw Millie Fleur]

I started raising chickens out in the country near of all things a woods and I found worked was to pull up sod around the fencing then under that run chicken wire from the outside fencing down into the ground and then a good foot or more out under the sod. (sort of in a laying down L shape) I found at times things would dig to get in however, this stopped them each time from succeeding. I guess digging down to go under it just to find hard fencing that they dug into discouraged them from even trying to go out further. Hope this helps.

 

[aart]

How big was the hole...in inches?

Agrees a fencing apron is a great anti dig technique.
Scale of fencing on corners in this graphic is off, but don't' forget the corners!

 

[slordaz]

I used rubber edging around the bottom of my fenced covered run, but also have a trained dog that watches them during the day, at night he alerts us if anything is about. But the coop is close to the house too and we did put up a motion activated light that seems to be working so far.

The blue Swedish Duck in the coop is a good deterrent for the smaller culprits, she's big enough she could take them on if needed but she was raised with our girls in brooder and thinks she's momma and very protective

 

[Monika S]

We actually found 3 holes so far. Two under the main fence of our yard and one under the chicken run. The ones under the main fence were 3 inches and about 5 inches and the one under the run about 4. It's definitely bigger than a snake or rat. I'm thinking raccoon or skunk is probably right. I have a motion light on my garage. It points towards the opening of the coop, but it evidently does not deter whatever is getting in there. I wouldn't even care about the eggs if I wouldn't have to worry about my chickens.