Missing eggs - is she chucking them or do i have a problem?

[Goat_Walker]

Well Every day I have one or two eggs missing. Today I went to collect and my buff , who has the nest, was missing some eggs.

I usually place the fertile eggs form the other ucks under her and take the infertile into the fridge. Yesterday she had 6 eggs, and this morning she only had 3! I dont know if she has layed todays egg though, seeing as I left at about 7.

Two days ago I found a four foot rat snake skin in my barn, is he eating all my eggs, and in the process messing up my nest? Or do I have someone else intruding?

 

[rufus]

Put small light bulbs into the nest. If the problem is a snake, it will ingest them and die.

Could be though, that you have a hungry neighbor.

Rufus

 

[CMV]

Quote:
Interesting. I am intrigued. The snakes can't tell the difference?

 

[saddina]

Golf balls also work.

 

[rufus]

Apparently not. After the hen has sat on the light bulb, it smells of her. Golf balls work also, but dead light bulbs are free, and I am kind of into recycling.

Dogs, skunks and oppossums will steal eggs also. Put a marked egg into the nest, and then watch and wait.

Rufus

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd think the snake is the prime candidate, but other possibilities are rats and an egg-eater. A rat will not eat the shell, but your birds will clean up a broken shell automatically. Definitely suspect the snake but don't forget to look for other possible causes.

Good luck!

 

[WonderWomanRox]

Hi! I have the same problem. It seems I have fewer and fewer eggs. I think we probably have LOTS of snakes and I'll never be able to kill them all. Anyone know of ways to deter them? We're going to try and "fortify" the coop this weekend, but I know my girls are afraid of these monsters stealing their eggs and would like some kind of repellant.

Wish I had found this forum last year when we bought our girls!

 

[thaokou21]

it could be a weasel too. They likes eggs and cut of small chickens heads.

 

[saddina]

Quote:
My dad runs a pro ship, so we have buckets of old balls in the garage.

We toss 1-2 into each nest, and if some come up missing, we know we have an issue. The snakes, well it's the end for them