Egg has vanished!

[Maddmim]

I have 2 silkie girls I got a couple weeks back who immediately laid 2 eggs, the gal I got them from said the eggs could be fertile and the girls were very broody so I let them go. The eggs are fertile and developed as expected. One started to pipe yesterday, at day 18. Letting nature take its course, I let it be to see what happens. They are separated from my big girls in my office in a pen. Well this morning, the egg that piped is GONE. Vanished, no shell, nothing. No baby! I have no idea where it went... could they have ate it all? Note: I’m new to chickens, had no intentions of ever hating eggs but stance the opportunity arose, figured could be fun for the kids. And now a mystery of the missing egg!

 

[sealer39]

The eggs are inside a house? Do you have pets?
Also, could one of your kids have taken it to “keep it safe” or something?

 

[sealer39]

Yeah, the more I think about it, search your kid’s closet or under the beds. You’ll probably find the most creative chicken brooder ever seen. Complete with old Easter basket straw, a dish of CoCo Puffs, water, Hatchimals so the new chick will have friends, strings of beads for decoration, etc.

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

That's very strange! It is extremely unlikely that the broody ate the entire egg. Did you search the nest box thoroughly for any signs of shell? Could anyone have taken the egg? Another weird possibility is sometimes the eggs will get sort of wedged up between the hen's wings and her body and will not immediately drop out if you lift up the hen.

 

[Maddmim]

It’s the weirdest thing! They are inside in my office which is detached from my house. Kids are little and no access without me as I lock it up (computer equipment) the kids are also afraid of chickens so I don’t believe they’d even try. I searched her, I searched her pen mate, I searched the entire pen, I cleaned it and sifted the shavings. There is literally no sign of it anywhere! It’s just vanished.

 

[sealer39]

Do you ever leave the office door open? You could have a snake in there that got it.

 

[igorsMistress]

Is it possible the chick could have left the pen?
It's not entirely impossible it was eaten by a hen that wasn't sitting if one was broody and the other wasn't.

 

[Maddmim]

Do you ever leave the office door open? You could have a snake in there that got it.

I do not, it’s a stand alone building and it’s hot as heck here, keep it closed up to keep it cool.

 

[Maddmim]

Is it possible the chick could have left the pen?
It's not entirely impossible it was eaten by a hen that wasn't sitting if one was broody and the other wasn't.

I hope wasn’t her:/ she’s not as broody as the hen that is sitting but she cuddles up with her. It’s the only explanation I have at this point.

 

[igorsMistress]

I hope wasn’t her:/ she’s not as broody as the hen that is sitting but she cuddles up with her. It’s the only explanation I have at this point.

I'm sorry, it's terrible to consider I know. If there are more eggs to hatch you might consider separating them. Then you'll possibly know which it was that did it and can prevent it from happening again though.