Magpies are eatting chicken eggs!

[redhd077]

I have a flock of 12 chickens ( 11 hens and 1 roo) mixed ages and breeds. They are free range durning the day. There is a little door cut out in the big door for them to go in and out as they please. A few weeks ago I went out to garther eggs and someone had pecked a hole in an egg. The problem slowly got worse until I found 3 eggs that had been broken open and partially eaten. By this time I am pretty mad and am ready to take some action. I go into the coop the next day and what do I see... A darn magpie eatting chicken food! I flew out and it dawned on me it was magpies getting the egg! Now my question is how do I keep them out? I can't keep my girls lock up. Any suggestions?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have a flock of 12 chickens ( 11 hens and 1 roo) mixed ages and breeds. They are free range durning the day. There is a little door cut out in the big door for them to go in and out as they please. A few weeks ago I went out to garther eggs and someone had pecked a hole in an egg. The problem slowly got worse until I found 3 eggs that had been broken open and partially eaten. By this time I am pretty mad and am ready to take some action. I go into the coop the next day and what do I see... A darn magpie eatting chicken food! I flew out and it dawned on me it was magpies getting the egg! Now my question is how do I keep them out? I can't keep my girls lock up. Any suggestions?

Posting photos of your setup will help us ID possible points of entry and ways to address them. Magpies are very intelligent birds, so now that they have discovered the egg buffet, they will be doubly determined to figure ways around the fixes you put in place. Are all openings besides the chicken/pop door securely covered with hardware cloth? How did the magpie you caught exit the coop? Do you have a secure, covered run attached to the coop that could be used temporarily to keep your flock in long enough for the magpies to give up and move on to a new food source (may be a couple of weeks depending on the magpie)?

 

[redhd077]

I have screens on all the windows and I have a walk thee door that stays closed except when I go in or out of it.mwe just have a little pop door cut in the bottom of that door. It's the only opening in the coop that isn't covered. The magpie flew out the walk threw door as I came into the coop.