Missing egg!

[Coopof10]

I have a broody hen that has been laying on 3 fertilized eggs that I got from a friend. I marked those eggs with an X so that I would be sure not to collect them. I had given her the eggs in the 2nd of 6 nest boxes from the human door. The next morning, she had moved them into the 1st nest box with other eggs that the hens had laid. There she has remained. Every day and evening I check to make sure she's not laying on any eggs except her 3 and usually have to remove some. She goes into the run in the mornings to eat and drink and while she's doing that the other hens use her box to lay their eggs. This morning when she went to the run I found 2 eggs in her box along with 2 of the 3 that I had given her. The 3rd egg is nowhere to be found. Not even a piece of shell! I checked the entire coop and the run. It has vanished. What could have happened?

 

[Willow2253]

It’s possible she or another chicken ate it. Sometimes broodies will get rid of an egg if they know it’s a dud, which could mean her eating it or pushing it out of the nest and another eating it.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I have a broody hen that has been laying on 3 fertilized eggs that I got from a friend. I marked those eggs with an X so that I would be sure not to collect them. I had given her the eggs in the 2nd of 6 nest boxes from the human door. The next morning, she had moved them into the 1st nest box with other eggs that the hens had laid. There she has remained. Every day and evening I check to make sure she's not laying on any eggs except her 3 and usually have to remove some. She goes into the run in the mornings to eat and drink and while she's doing that the other hens use her box to lay their eggs. This morning when she went to the run I found 2 eggs in her box along with 2 of the 3 that I had given her. The 3rd egg is nowhere to be found. Not even a piece of shell! I checked the entire coop and the run. It has vanished. What could have happened?

Yeah, I'd say it got eaten. I've had that happen before Went from eight eggs to four before I gave up and moved the hen.

 

[Chicalina]

What did you use to mark the eggs? I had marks rubbed off over time, and especially when the broodie dust bathed during her daily break. The dirt in her feathers was like sandpaper.

Go and candle the eggs you have taken out. I bet you'll find the missing egg!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

What did you use to mark the eggs? I had marks rubbed off over time, and especially when the broodie dust bathed during her daily break. The dirt in her feathers was like sandpaper.

Go and candle the eggs you have taken out. I bet you'll find the missing egg!

I know you were asking OP, but in my case the eggs were from a friend and were different colors than what my hens lay so I know I didn't gather any. I had still marked them, to be safe.

 

[Chicalina]

I know you were asking OP, but in my case the eggs were from a friend and were different colors than what my hens lay so I know I didn't gather any. I had still marked them, to be safe.

Missing egg indeed! I usually find a gloopy mess in the nest box bedding if an egg has been cracked and eaten, but sometimes they clean up well!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Missing egg indeed! I usually find a gloopy mess in the nest box bedding if an egg has been cracked and eaten, but sometimes they clean up well!

In my case, there were only small traces of egg yolk on the remaining eggs, but the cleanup job was remarkable.

 

[Coopof10]

I marked the eggs with black permanent marker and the other 2 are still pretty bold. I cleaned the coop and didn't find any sign of broken egg. I guess that's the only thing that could've happened. Sure hope it was a dud!

 

[MarkJr]

Squirrel or snake able to pack it off?

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Sounds like the work of a sneaky Snake