EGGS MISSING

[WindyOaksYokes]

Hey all I need some help... What would eat over a dozen plus eggs a day? We have noticed eggs missing daily, but it is getting worse everyday... several missing anywhere from a dozen to two dozen a day... We finally realized it tonight when taking care of the eggs we got throughout the day. We had a few duck eggs and tonight... none. Anyone have any ideas??? How many eggs will a snake eat at one time? Will raccoons eat the eggs and not attack chickens? What about possums? Anything else anyone can think of? It is happening during the day... morning, noon and late afternoon...

Any help would be greatly appreciated... Thanks

Tes

 

[arllcountrygirl]

It could possibly be a 2 legged critter. Where we used to live, I had to actually put a lock on our chicken pen to keep people out. It is sad that we have to do things like that but unfortunatly it is a fact of life. They also cleaned me out of duck that they took from the pond.

Snakes will also get eggs and you won't see any signs. If were coons or oppossums then you would see signs of broken eggs.

Dogs are also great egg thieves and you won't see any sign of them unless you catch them with one.

Hope you find the culpert. Lots of luck

 

[92caddy]

It could be rats, most of the time, but not always, other animals will eat them right there on the spot, but rats will carry them off. Hope you find it or them and stop em. Good luck to ya.................

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
Boy thats a lot of rats to be taking a dozen of eggs isn't it?

Or could a couple of rats take them and keep coming back? I know nothing about rats. Thank God.

I would be staying home from work and see what is going on. .

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Two legged almost impossible... coop is about 100 ft from the house and someone is always here... not to mention our house is a half mile off the main road, in the trees, hidden away... hardly anyone knows there is a house down in here... and those that do... I don't see them coming in here to steal eggs... they know all they have to do is ask...

Rats... we thought of that, but are not seeing HUGE holes... we are seeing small mouse holes... hmmm but could be... and that would be alot of rats

Just trying to think of what it could be... this is going to drive me nuts!!!

Oh yah.... and to add... my nests are about 4 to 4 1/2 feet off the ground...

 

[92caddy]

Its hard to tell how many rats there maybe. If it is rats. From what I have been through, coons, will eat em there on the spot, opussums never seem to mess with eggs, skunks would only eat em when they had chicks in them and rats would take em anytime and there was never no sigh, I caught one in the act, is how I found out. I had a dog that would take an egg every now and then. I had a snake one time get in the coop, but the girls ended up eating it. ........

 

[92caddy]

Rats can get through some pretty small holes. It dont have to be alot of them either, it could be only a hand full. ............

 

[arllcountrygirl]

Could something have disturbed your birds enough to make them stop laying and that be the reason that you aren't getting eggs?

 

[Kajunbanty]

Crows..............I have seen crows take eggs from a nest and pack it over in the edge of the woods and peck it open and eat it out. Have seen a large snake swallow as many as 6 at a time. Not all Rats live in holes in the barn, there are woods rats that live out in the woods and fields they will pack them off also.

 

[Jenski]

Is there anything left of the eggs? Shell bits or yolk? Or are the eggs just missing?