Eggs vanishing with no trace. Need ideas.

[HH.Wench]

I don't think a live trap would work for a snake, not least because the snake would probably not go all the way into the trap. I'd get a game camera. A snake would probably spit up the shell anyway, so you'd see that.

Are you sure a hen didn't just tuck the eggs away somewhere in a nest?

Would a snake puke up the shell right near the nest, or leave the coop and puke it a little later? And would it eat 3 large eggs at once? I have seen black snakes in the yard around 6 feet long.

 

[paneubert]

Would a snake puke up the shell right near the nest, or leave the coop and puke it a little later.

No reason to puke anything up at all. They eat animals, skeleton and all. It comes out as snake poop. They aren't owls puking up balls of fur and bones after all....

 

[Mvan42]

A game camera is your best friend, you can find them for as low as $30 now days.

 

[HH.Wench]

No reason to puke anything up at all. They eat animals, skeleton and all. It comes out as snake poop. They aren't owls puking up balls of fur and bones after all....

I always assumed they digested the shells, but I see so many people here say snakes puke shells. Confused.

 

[aart]

Can a hen really eat 3 large eggs at once and leave no trace of yolk or anything on the pine?

Not likely.
They may eat all the shell and contents, but I've found there is always a wet spot left in nest bedding.

I always assumed they digested the shells, but I see so many people here say snakes puke shells. Confused.

When in doubt, google....
"Except for a specialized species, snakes eat and digest eggs the same as they do any other animal. Bone and eggshell are digested while claws, hair, and insect exoskeleton are excreted."

 

[paneubert]

Not likely.
They may eat all the shell and contents, but I've found there is always a wet spot left in nest bedding.

When in doubt, google....
"Except for a specialized species, snakes eat and digest eggs the same as they do any other animal. Bone and eggshell are digested while claws, hair, and insect exoskeleton are excreted."

That is interesting. Must have something to do with the claws, hair, and exoskeletons being made of keratin or chitin, or another "in".

 

[Fishkeeper]

Right, silly me- the ones that vomit the shells back up are one particular, relatively small species. They crack the egg in their throat and spit the shell out so they don't have to deal with the bulk. A rat snake or similar is big enough to swallow the whole egg and not have much of a bulge as a result. Especially a six-foot snake.
Don't kill the snakes, by the way. You want those around to eat rodents, and also just in general to keep the ecosystem stable. Just make your coop snake-proof. It should be snake-proofed anyway, because if a snake can get in, so can a weasel, and a weasel will kill your birds.

I still vote for a game camera, and checking very thoroughly in case something hid them.

 

[cmom]

Definitely get a game camera if you can. They are invaluable to figuring out predators.

A game camera is your best friend, you can find them for as low as $30 now days.

I agree. A camera will tell you the story. A BYC member posted pictures from this one and the pictures are decent and the price is great, under $30.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tasco-8MP-Tan-Game-Camera-Low-Glow/55614224

You can always put some fake eggs or golf balls in your coop and see if they disappear.

 

[cmom]

I have several game cameras on my property. I was surprised at how many predators were prowling around especially at night here.

 

[HH.Wench]

What is the trick to putting a game cam in your coop? Will it just fill up with images of your chickens coming and going non stop?

I dont kill the black snakes as they keep the copper heads away. Plus they are docile and gorgeous. DH is out wrapping things in poultry netting on the hopes a snake will get bound up in it as it tries to pass through.