Eggs due to hatch tomorrow vanished

[Jtaranc]

I have an Orpington sitting on 5 eggs that were due to hatch tomorrow. Sunday they were fine. Monday I did not check on them, I worked an overnight shift at the ER and came home this morning to check on mom and eggs and as soon as I opened the lay box door I smelled death. All 4 eggs are gone and in the spot they were in, are hundreds of maggots in the straw.

One of my leghorns was running around with an eggshell in her mouth this morning. The Orpington moved and is now sitting on some other eggs that were laid yesterday.

I feel so bad. Did the girls cannibalize them?

My husband wants to pick up tractor chicks and put under mom, she sat on those eggs for so long and the eggs before that another hen stole those chicks and is raising them. She’s literally been broody with no babies for 6 weeks.

Is this normal for the chicks to get eaten?

We’ve had 4 sets of chicks hatch this spring and this hasn’t happened before.

 

[SnackMeat]

I don't have direct experience with this but for there to be no sign except for some egg shell, I would believe a predator got in there. I can see chickens going after unabsorbed yolk and even eating some of the babies. But all of the babies?

It seems less likely than another predator.


As another piece of evidence, maggots are delicious for chickens. To have a whole nest of them undisturbed probably points to your chickens being fed well and enjoying foraging.

I suppose they could all be full from chicks but this doesn't seem correct.


I would grab some chicks, go in at night and do the imitation vanilla trick to make the chicks and the hen all smell alike.

There's a chance she won't take them, but maybe try two or three chicks.

 

[Jtaranc]

I don't have direct experience with this but for there to be no sign except for some egg shell, I would believe a predator got in there. I can see chickens going after unabsorbed yolk and even eating some of the babies. But all of the babies?

It seems less likely than another predator.


As another piece of evidence, maggots are delicious for chickens. To have a whole nest of them undisturbed probably points to your chickens being fed well and enjoying foraging.

I suppose they could all be full from chicks but this doesn't seem correct.


I would grab some chicks, go in at night and do the imitation vanilla trick to make the chicks and the hen all smell alike.

There's a chance she won't take them, but maybe try two or three chicks.

When I cleaned everything out I found one barred rock egg that’s undisturbed. I gave that back to mom.

I thought about predator also but there are baby chicks in the coop also, I would’ve thought a snake would’ve gone after the 4 day olds first. We have hardwire cloth dug under the ground so a snake is about all that can get in there. Something definitely happened Monday or even Sunday night.

 

[SnackMeat]

Snake would be my guess but hopefully people with direct experience can chime in. I would suggest buying or borrowing a game camera to see if you have some snake visitors over time.

 

[GodLovesU]

Is there a chance that the eggs weren’t fertile and burst? That could explain the smell.

 

[Jtaranc]

Is there a chance that the eggs weren’t fertile and burst? That could explain the smell.

The leghorn one was definitely fertile. I candeled them Saturday. And when I found the barred rock egg it had golden chick feathers stuck to it. Maybe 1 or 2 burst and they hens got over zealous and raided the nest and broke the others.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My husband wants to pick up tractor chicks and put under mom, she sat on those eggs for so long and the eggs before that another hen stole those chicks and is raising them. She’s literally been broody with no babies for 6 weeks.

After 6 weeks I'd either get her some chicks to raise or break her from being broody. She should have about used up her nutritional reserves by now.

Is this normal for the chicks to get eaten?

I don't know what happened. To me it sounds like some critter like a skunk or possum opened the eggs, ate any developing chicks, and left some residue to feed the maggots. It could have been something else.

 

[Jtaranc]

Is there a chance that the eggs weren’t fertile and burst? That could explain the smell.

I don't have direct experience with this but for there to be no sign except for some egg shell, I would believe a predator got in there. I can see chickens going after unabsorbed yolk and even eating some of the babies. But all of the babies?

It seems less likely than another predator.


As another piece of evidence, maggots are delicious for chickens. To have a whole nest of them undisturbed probably points to your chickens being fed well and enjoying foraging.

I suppose they could all be full from chicks but this doesn't seem correct.


I would grab some chicks, go in at night and do the imitation vanilla trick to make the chicks and the hen all smell alike.

There's a chance she won't take them, but maybe try two or three chicks.

I went in there to try and introduce the baby chicks to mom. Omggggg look. And he’s sitting there with a full belly.

 

[tlcmurphy]

I went in there to try and introduce the baby chicks to mom. Omggggg look. And he’s sitting there with a full belly.

I’d say that’s definitive proof.
Will you be moving now?

 

[Jtaranc]

He

I’d say that’s definitive proof.
Will you be moving now?

He will definitely be moving