Eggs Disappearing From Under Broody Hen?

[Nocila]

This may be in the wrong section, but one of my Broody hens started out with four eggs. She was supposed to have her eggs hatch sometime in the past week, and she had three eggs when one of her eggs broke, bringing her down to two. Since the broken egg about a week ago, her remaining two eggs have disappeared, one at a time, with no signs of egg, shell, or chick in sight. I looked all over the coop, and found nothing...

The mother is an Asil, so I'm a little concerned that she could have attacked the chicks once they started pipping (I tried grafting chicks to her the last time she was broody, and she rejected them, so I figure it's possible...)

Considering the mother's breed, I question the possibility of a snake or rat taking the eggs (especially since the coop is pretty well guarded from predators, knock on wood, and mama is pretty smart and protective. She will attack anything that gets in her nest, and, if I mess with her with a piece of straw (I was trying to distract her), she will attack my hand, not the straw), but I could be wrong... Any thoughts?

 

[Reurra]

Check for snakes or rats. Skunks can also be an issue. Egg snatchers often come in the middle of the night while the hen is sleeping. While the hen is usually too large for most snakes or rats, an egg isnt very difficult to snatch because it doesnt struggle.


Skip forward to 2:30 seconds in this video.

 

[Nocila]

I believe the only snakes in my area are garters, and they don't get anywhere near big enough to eat an egg in my experience... I'm thinking the eggs disappeared during the day, as the coop is pretty well locked at night (cement floors, small wire covering every hole, that kind of thing), so maybe I'm wrong, but I have trouble seeing a rat getting to the eggs, unless it did so during the day, when the hen was awake...

 

[Reurra]

Rats, mice and snakes are very good at getting through small spaces. With no evidence of where they went, there is no telling what happened!

I know where I work, we get squirrels inside even if the back door is open a few moments. We have to stomp our feet and bang on the door to frighten sneaky squirrels. They are very fast. If your coop was open, a snake could get in and out very easily.

Never underestimate the size of a snake vs an egg. Or a rat for that matter.

Where do you live?

It is very strange.

 

[Nocila]

We live in the northwest corner of Washington, in Kitsap County, and most snakes aren't much wider than a pencil or a pen, which is why I'd be shocked if they took the egg... The egg was a standard sized egg, so that would be at least 4 times as big around, if not much more. I used to love snakes, so I knew a lot about them, but while they can open their mouths pretty wide, that seems like a stretch, even for them.

 

[Sarevan]

You might want to check out this site. http://www.burkemuseum.org/herpetology/checklist

There are lizards, snakes, rodents and other critters that could take an egg. Mice could even do it. I have lizards that get into the run but the chickens usually tear it apart and eat it. Another possibility the hen may be eating the eggs. But check nest for stickiness, off colored nesting material.

To try to find out what may be the culprit, use a powder around the higher places in coop or places the chickens can't get to, around the nest any place that may be a trail to try to get tracks of the egg thief. All else fails use a trailcam to take pictures at intervals toward the nest to see what it catches.

 

[aart]

Chickens may have eaten them....they'll eat the whole thing leaving no more than maybe a wet spot.