Continuous missing eggs

[Eckielady]

We have a broody hen. Almost every night one of her eggs goes missing. Last night I left an egg sitting off by itself and it wasn’t touched but one of hers is. The first three that went missing were growing and due in a week. The one that went missing last night is a new egg under her. What would go after a warm egg under a chicken and ignore a much easier target? There are also two babies in that same coop that haven’t been touched. Rat? Snake? Wouldn’t both of those go after the live chicks or easier egg first? Thanks much. We have a rat trap but won’t do much good if it’s a snake.

 

[Eckielady]

Oh ya, I think it’s too cold here still for a snake.
Would a weasel go and just take an egg? I also think we may be missing some during the day. Yesterday we only had one egg and usually have at least 4 in the coop.
Going to set up a camera tonight and start moving mama and babies to safety at night.

 

[Mosey2003]

I would suspect the hen.

If it's too cold for a snake, most anything that would take an egg would at least try for the hen.

 

[Eckielady]

Crap, I hope it’s not her. She’s a new sitter so I’m not sure how great she’ll be. She sits so well so I was hoping for another good mama. I’ll look for shells again but I didn’t see any sign of them in there.

 

[Mosey2003]

If she's eating them, she'll eat the shell and all. Not saying it's absolutely her, but I'd suspect her.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

We have a broody hen. Almost every night one of her eggs goes missing. Last night I left an egg sitting off by itself and it wasn’t touched but one of hers is. The first three that went missing were growing and due in a week. The one that went missing last night is a new egg under her. What would go after a warm egg under a chicken and ignore a much easier target? There are also two babies in that same coop that haven’t been touched. Rat? Snake? Wouldn’t both of those go after the live chicks or easier egg first? Thanks much. We have a rat trap but won’t do much good if it’s a snake.

A sneaky (and hungry) neighbor grabbed your eggs.

 

[Mosey2003]

If they were due in a week, I can't imagine a neighbor taking another after cracking the first...

 

[Eckielady]

No neighbors. Found a very dead little dried up chick in there today. Grrr!! I’m not sure what to do at this point. Maybe I’ll have to break her.