Eggs missing inside electrified meadow.

kaumlauf

Crowing
14 Years
Nov 2, 2010
277
127
306
Cambridge Springs, PA
I'd like to solve a mystery. I have two 24 month old hens. They have been laying steadily since they started, about a year ago. We keep them in 1/2 acre meadow, using a 2x4 mesh fence, 4' tall, with an electrified wire across the top. They have always laid their eggs inside their coop. I don't always close the door at night because of the electric wire. I feel it protects them, but maybe that is a false security. They free-range inside the grassy enclosure. I've been cutting back their feed so as to encourage them to eat more freely from the meadow. The last week I have not found any eggs inside their coop. No cracked eggs either, and not shells. The hens are unharmed. I looked everywhere for the eggs and can't find any. There should be at least 8, based on their past performance. Hubby says they are protesting the cut in feed! Here's a picture of my beautiful girls. The red one lays the most gorgeous brown eggs, and the other lays a soft blue-green-gray egg.
 

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with an electrified wire across the top.
Unless the wire fence is connected to the grounding system of your charger, this wire is only effective against predators that touch it and the earth at the same time.
but maybe that is a false security.
Very much so.

Lots of smaller (and nasty) predators can easily get through a 2x4 opening. They have likely been taken.
You should re-home the girls to their coop where the nest boxes are for about a week before allowing them to roam their pen again. You can use this time to get the fence functioning correctly to guard against predators.
I would also keep feeding them a complete chicken feed in addition to a container of free choice oyster shell to ensure they are meeting their calcium requirements.
 
Unless the wire fence is connected to the grounding system of your charger, this wire is only effective against predators that touch it and the earth at the same time.

Very much so.

Lots of smaller (and nasty) predators can easily get through a 2x4 opening. They have likely been taken.
You should re-home the girls to their coop where the nest boxes are for about a week before allowing them to roam their pen again. You can use this time to get the fence functioning correctly to guard against predators.
I would also keep feeding them a complete chicken feed in addition to a container of free choice oyster shell to ensure they are meeting their calcium requirements.
It is a grounded wire- I forgot to mention. Whatever is getting in is not messing with the hens. I will start to continue to close and lock their door then, at night. Do you think a snake could be eating them? And thank you for all your valuable information.
 
Do you think a snake could be eating them?
Most likely it is a snake. A few years ago, I had many snakes eating the eggs. We got rid of the snakes and then had a huge rat problem. The rats will bust the eggs in place and eat them. So...got rid of the rats and all was well for a few months. Now, the rats are back (baby season) and I have seen an Eastern rat snake near the coop. So since I now only have 2 laying hens (due to a huge predator issue) so I have maybe 1 or 2 eggs a week between teh rats and the snake. Ahhhh, gotta love country living!
 

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