ID an Egg Predator - Stealing Eggs through Hardware Cloth

[ReadySetKate]

I need some predator ID help, please!

Something has been stealing eggs out of my coop. Sometimes it eats the eggs on-site and leaves shells (with holes chewed? in each side and the contents eaten), but sometimes they just disappear. I think it's entering through the same door as the chickens get in. In the last month I have evicted a 4' and 5' black snake that were each found in the coop (possibly the cause of eggs just "disappearing"), but something is still taking eggs! I've suspected crows, squirrels, and chipmunks, but today I found a trail of egg yolk running down the coop walls! It looks like something ran up through the ventilation windows, or at least tried to.
What do you all think? Squirrels? Any solutions for the mystery predator (and the snakes?! I've plugged up any holes, but they climb up the chicken ramp.)

I've attached pictures. Thank you in advance!

Egg Yolk Coop Wall

• ReadySetKate
• Jul 14, 2017

Egg Yolk Coop Wall

• ReadySetKate
• Jul 14, 2017

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Sounds like a rat to me. Can you borrow a game camera from someone?

Rats/mice would explain what is attracting the snakes to the area, too.

When are these eggs being taken or eaten?

 

[ReadySetKate]

Sounds like a rat to me. Can you borrow a game camera from someone?

Rats/mice would explain what is attracting the snakes to the area, too.

When are these eggs being taken or eaten?

I have a game camera set up, but it hasn't picked up anything. I'm thinking whatever it is is too small to trigger the camera? Or I may have it in the wrong place.

The eggs are mostly being taken late morning through mid-day. I try to collect the eggs regularly, but half the flock lays early morning and the other half lays anytime around the early afternoon so there's usually an egg in the coop somewhere.

The roosters are being completely useless about this

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Take a good look and see if you find any droppings. Also, turn over the bedding and check for nests or hidden eggs (I found that mice will sometimes hide the eggs under the bedding almost as if to save it for later even though it has a hole in it already).

The other thing to consider is that one or more of the birds is eating eggs, but that would not explain the egg running up the wall. Are those ventilation windows are covered in wire?

 

[ReadySetKate]

Take a good look and see if you find any droppings. Also, turn over the bedding and check for nests or hidden eggs (I found that mice will sometimes hide the eggs under the bedding almost as if to save it for later even though it has a hole in it already).

The other thing to consider is that one or more of the birds is eating eggs, but that would not explain the egg running up the wall. Are those ventilation windows are covered in wire?

Thank you for your help!

I've turned the bedding and checked and only found some egg shells, nothing else that I can see.
I think it's a rodent: rat, squirrel, something like that, that's living outside and coming in the same door as the birds do during the day. It probably ran up the wall to escape one of the birds coming into the coop (my top hen can be FIERCE about intruders!). The windows are covered in a tight hardware cloth, I think 1/4", but maybe 1/2" at the the largest. (I forget)

I inspected the areas around the coop and found some evidence of chewing on plastic buckets and containers, plus all the snakes suddenly in the area (I didn't see a single snake all of last year), and I saw a few chipmunks boldly sunning themselves near the coop, so we definitely have a rodent surge of some sort.

Our property is wooded, so I've planned for foxes, raccoons, possums, bears... but not rodents!

Thanks again for helping me narrow it down, I'll spend some time rodent-proofing and trying to find what's drawing them in.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I had rats a couple of winters ago. Putting feeders away at night really helped. However if they are coming during the day that's a heck of a problem. If you could rent guineas that would take care of it, I'm sure. Lol