Disappearing eggs...

[barred2rock]

I found my old thread...you will see I didn't remember all the details exactly, except the part about the egg being returned...
And then other BYC members reported the same thing happened to them! So new2chx, there's still hope you'll get it back!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egg-thief-returns-fake-egg.1119021/#post-17252649

Did you see any bright lights in the sky? I believe you have aliens!

 

[MommaHen2Many]

I was going to say game camera installation to figure it out....now I really want to know HOW does a snake actually "get " up into a nest box? I have little to no experience with snakes (for which I am VERY grateful!)

 

[new2chx]

Might not have been the same snake...if they eat a ceramic egg I think it will kill them, not sure at what point the can regurgitate it.

True...guess time will tell.

 

[SueT]

I was going to say game camera installation to figure it out....now I really want to know HOW does a snake actually "get " up into a nest box? I have little to no experience with snakes (for which I am VERY grateful!)

Snakes can climb vertical surfaces....They need only slight protuberances to cling to...

 

[lazy gardener]

Snakes are very capable creatures. And they are smarter than we give them credit for. See if this will help you get a good night's sleep tonight:

https://www.google.com/search?q=sna...0j69i57j0l4.5163j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

As for disappearing ceramic eggs: I have 2 and have actually marked them so I can tell them from the real eggs. They are very convincing in shape, wt, color, size. My ceramic eggs often move about in the coop. They travel from one nest box to an other. At least one of my hens will move a ceramic egg so she can have it in her favorite nest.

Eggs returning to the nest with tooth marks? Creepy! I've found that my dog is a white bellied egg sucker. I caught her raiding the egg basket that I had set on the deck. Before I realized what she was doing, she had stolen 3 eggs and carried them down onto the lawn for her "picnic". I bet the ceramic egg thief was a dog.

 

[MommaHen2Many]

Snakes can climb vertical surfaces....They need only slight protuberances to cling to...
View attachment 1111204

oh my!

 

[Flashpoint]

Today I had the same problem and caught a little one in the act! I took the egg away from him and he slithered away. I'm sure he will be back.

Then I will relocate him a couple miles away in the forest.

 

[SueT]

Today I had the same problem and caught a little one in the act! I took the egg away from him and he slithered away. I'm sure he will be back.

Then I will relocate him a couple miles away in the forest.

View attachment 1111546

Great photo!!!

 

[Bhapimama]

Well, the mystery has been solved: it was a large black snake and apparently it did eat one of the ceramic eggs and came back for more because I just found it in the coop tonight looking very large and satisfied with itself. It had just eaten 1-3 eggs, but it's timing was bad and it got caught.

WOW! Where do you live....? I'm intrigued. I'm in veeeerrrrry Northern California- almost at the border of Oregon, near the coast. We have Gardner Snakes..... Idk if they eat eggs though.

 

[Bhapimama]

Today I had the same problem and caught a little one in the act! I took the egg away from him and he slithered away. I'm sure he will be back.

Then I will relocate him a couple miles away in the forest.

View attachment 1111546

Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!