Fake Eggs Disappearing

[jwsmith1959]

When I started my flock over a year ago, I purchased some of those fake wooden eggs off Amazon. Supposed to get six but got seven. I pretty much ignored them as they helped get my girls laying in their boxes. I got a couple of new girls a couple of months ago and set up a temporary nesting box outside the coop door to give my older girls a place to lay while I kept my newbies cooped up for a couple of weeks. I put a couple of those eggs in the box to show them where I wanted them to temporarily lay during that time. Worked great.

I didn't remove the box after I started letting the new girl's free range and noticed about a month ago that both of those eggs were missing...lol I assumed it was an opportunistic raccoon or other such critter that just decided to steal them. I thought maybe a Rat Snake too, but that happened last year and they just regurgitated them under the nesting boxes. over the last few weeks, four other eggs have disappeared from inside the coop. I have searched everywhere in the coop and about 50 yards in all directions and nothing. Another whodunnit in my chicken wrangling adventures.

 

[swamphiker]

It happens! I had to stop using fake eggs (golf balls) because I once found a rat snake in the middle of eating one. Fortunately it regurgitated the golf ball successfully.

 

[McChooky]

You're right, you've likely got more than one snake or other predators eating your eggs.

 

[McChooky]

When I started my flock over a year ago, I purchased some of those fake wooden eggs off Amazon. Supposed to get six but got seven. I pretty much ignored them as they helped get my girls laying in their boxes. I got a couple of new girls a couple of months ago and set up a temporary nesting box outside the coop door to give my older girls a place to lay while I kept my newbies cooped up for a couple of weeks. I put a couple of those eggs in the box to show them where I wanted them to temporarily lay during that time. Worked great.

I didn't remove the box after I started letting the new girl's free range and noticed about a month ago that both of those eggs were missing...lol I assumed it was an opportunistic raccoon or other such critter that just decided to steal them. I thought maybe a Rat Snake too, but that happened last year and they just regurgitated them under the nesting boxes. over the last few weeks, four other eggs have disappeared from inside the coop. I have searched everywhere in the coop and about 50 yards in all directions and nothing. Another whodunnit in my chicken wrangling adventures.

They don't call them chicken snakes for nothing.

 

[jwsmith1959]

And egg number 7 went missing sometime in the last 36 hours. No more to worry about. All my girls `know where to lay, so not needed anymore. It must have been a pretty good sized Rat Snake to eat them and carry them off the way it did.

Last Summer, I had one hen that liked to lay inside my Well Pump house. Caught this smallish Rat Snake trying to steal one. He spit it out, and I let hm slighter away. I will gladly give up an egg or two a month for free rodent control.

 

[McChooky]

Fortunately the apron I built around my coop and run keeps them out. I don't like visitors to show up uninvited.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

And egg number 7 went missing sometime in the last 36 hours. No more to worry about. All my girls `know where to lay, so not needed anymore. It must have been a pretty good sized Rat Snake to eat them and carry them off the way it did.

Last Summer, I had one hen that liked to lay inside my Well Pump house. Caught this smallish Rat Snake trying to steal one. He spit it out, and I let hm slighter away. I will gladly give up an egg or two a month for free rodent control.

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Sounds like you have a snake for sure. I also don’t mind losing a few eggs in exchange for rodent control but keep in mind that it will likely go after any chicks or bantams you have. Sometimes they will attack full size birds too but that’s much rarer.