Egg Thief

[ImABuffDaddy05641]

I am new to this site, figured its about time I joined something to help me with my chicken questions. I have 4 Buff Orpingtons and so far they are great. We went through a spell with few to no eggs, molting we figured out. I was just starting getting eggs again when all of a sudden they stopped. Change of season was happening as well and with shorter days I figured that was it. Well my neighbor pointed out a run from his garage to my coupe. There is a hole the size of a tennis ball that goes under the building and into my open coupe. I found a long not chicken looking scat in the coop as well. No harm to the chickens. I live in VT and am wondering what would steal eggs but not harm the birds? Weasel is the only thing that makes sense with the size of the holes dug. But wouldn't they kill the birds?

 

[FortCluck]

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
A weasel would gleefully kill the birds.
You may have a snake helping itself. Was the hole there and they are monopolizing on the opportunity or do you thing something dug it and they are the culprit?
I have Wyze cameras in my coop and run. If you have power to the coop these cameras are very inexpensive. You could set one up to monitor the nest boxes.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I wish you luck in identifying the animal responsible

 

[so lucky]

If it is coming from the neighbor's garage, maybe a rat?

 

[Ted_Harrell]

I just set out a game camera, following other's suggestions to see what is in my yard at night. This probably would not catch a snake but it would catch something larger and would run off of batteries. You might find out what is going in and out of your coop. Good luck...

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

That hole could have been made by a number of critters, both harmless and predatory. The best thing you can do is cork up this hole so nothing else can get in. Everything eats chicken, so secure up the coop like fort Knox.

Welcome to our roost!

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi! Welcome to BYC! Agree a game camera would help,

 

[BullChick]

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! Glad that you joined! Good luck in finding out what your thief is so maybe you can set some sort of trap, and in shoring thing's up better. Small holes can become big one's.