Do squirrels steal eggs?

[dimplesmom]

Would a possum come in to the barn and steal chicken eggs to eat? We are losing 12-14 eggs a day. I have found eaten eggs part of the shell gone and everything inside gone.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Snakes eat eggs, too. There a lot of creatures that eat eggs, that don't eat the chickens.

 

[McCash40]

You could always have fried squirrel and eggs for breakfast. It's really a treat, and will solve our problem.

 

[Chick CJ]

Quote:
Possums will come after your chickens and their eggs!

 

[gryeyes]

I had an egg eater. Only suspicions on WHO it was, but when I put the weighted, plastic Easter eggs in the nest boxes (already had ONE golf ball in one), the egg eating stopped. However, a couple of those eggs were broken open! I hope she - whoever it was - got a beak full of sand!

The funny thing was that the colored (bright blue, bright red, bright yellow) eggs moved from nest to nest. Not just from one next to another, but across the coop. Turns out chickens can not only eat eggs, but they can carry them!

 

[linuxman]

I had an egg eater. Only suspicions on WHO it was, but when I put the weighted, plastic Easter eggs in the nest boxes (already had ONE golf ball in one), the egg eating stopped. However, a couple of those eggs were broken open! I hope she - whoever it was - got a beak full of sand!

The funny thing was that the colored (bright blue, bright red, bright yellow) eggs moved from nest to nest. Not just from one next to another, but across the coop. Turns out chickens can not only eat eggs, but they can carry them!

Sounds like it may be a squirrel or something larger.....

Would a red squirrel be big enough to carry away an egg? We have one that has a hidey-hole in a tree inside the run. We have been down on eggs lately, and I was wondering if he was the one causing that. He has managed to outsmart our cats, and only shows up if the roosters are dowhere to be seen.

 

[greenglyn]

I rehomed a squirrel yesterday for stealing eggs. It was a California ground squirrel. It had dug under the coop and made it into the run. I had been wondering why I had so few eggs, but my daughter saw him take one, so our mystery is solved. I got a Havahart trap, and caught him within 2 hours. Hopefully, he didn't bring friends.

 

[Songbird Farms]

The same exact thing happened to us yesterday. Egg in middle of the coop. My wife was running around to busy to grab it. When she checked back in later it as gone.

We do often have squirrels in the feeder. and on the ramp to the coop. Can they really carry away an egg? If co, suggestions on how to solve this problem?

And...Is there a specific breed(s) that would stand up to a squirrel ?

My girls (2 Barred Rocks, 2 Buff Orps, 3 RI Reds, 1 Buff Brahma all cower away when squirrels enter the run.

 

[Chickassan]

Yes definitely squirrels steal eggs and are quite able to smuggle them away in their cheeks. My flock has taken to killing squirrels and plucking them bald, I've got faverolles lol!

 

[Songbird Farms]

Salomon Faverolles. Should some of my breeds do the same as they get older ? My girls are about 6 months old now ? Or will they always cower away ?