Guinea hen's eggs just disappeared...:(

[PuppyBantamCochin]

Last week,
I had a guinea sitting on 25+eggs. The resulting hatch could've been guinea hen/chicken crosses. Last Thursday, at 8am, we left the house. Everything was quiet, and although I didn't check the nest, I didn't see anything suspicious.
When we returned around 4:30-5pm, I noticed the guinea running out. I ran to check her nest, and there were feathers EVERYWHERE. In the nest, there were only nine eggs

. No broken shells, nothing except feathers to tell me that something had attacked the guinea's nest.
The guinea went back to sit on the remaining eggs soon after we returned. The next morning, the guinea was out again, and I went to check the nest. NO EGGS!!

The guinea abandoned the nest area and i decided to clear the place her nest had been. I found some matted gray hair in the dirt near the nest, but i'm not sure what that is.

Any ideas what it could've been?

I do recall that we did see a rat once in an old rooten chicken coop we demolished. Could rats steal eggs?

thanks!

 

[bobbi-j]

Rats will steal eggs.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
ARE YOU SERIOUS???

 

[embkm]

Just about anything will eat eggs. Not sure if a rat would take on a Momma guinea sitting on her nest, but it's possible. Raccoons, weasels, foxes.. they will all eat eggs too. And they wouldn't think twice about taking on a guinea either.

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
ARE YOU SERIOUS???

Yep. I've had it happen.

 

[aprophet]

skunks ,possums

 

[PuppyBantamCochin]

I understand a possum, skunk, etc. during the night, but would they come out during the day?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

The most likely culprit is a snake.