Missing SO MANY eggs!

[cupofJoelene]

Hey, guys! I see topics about this problem but their answers are still leaving me soooo confused!

I have had three broody rounds this year. Our first broody sat on a dozen eggs and hatched 6, largely because of eggs that go missing. We have a converted shed on a concrete slab that is super critter proof, so I was absolutely stumped as to what could be taking the eggs! ZERO egg debri, ZERO mess, ZERO signs of anything. But I chalked it up to the fact that that broody stayed in the general population and something must have been going on or that it was a crafty snake that I literally cannot see could get in ANYWHERE... even if I gave him more credit than I'd like.
So here we are during round 2 and round 3. I gave two sister hens around 10 eggs each, separated them off one big clutch they were sitting on, and we actually have a pen that was built put in to act as our broody area. It's sunk into the ground a few inches and there aren't any holes dug or scratching around BUT BOTH OF THEM ARE MISSING MORE THAN HALF OF THEIR EGGS!!!! WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON OUT HERE?!?! Lol, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
No, we don't have a trail cam to set up or baby monitor we can rig up out there. Has anyone figured out a similar situation and have suggestions? It's easy when you can't see someone's set up to assume it's lacking somewhere and a critter could easily sneak in... but I'm telling you, I'm stumped! We have never had a rat or mouse problem besides the occasional field mouse during hay season, even way out where we are. I've actually never even seen a rat or any sign of rats here on our property. We are very proactive in keeping any critters away from the house and "bird barn" so it wouldn't go unnoticed! We absolutely have snakes galore around near the ponds and back pastures, but it's been two years since we've seen them actually in our fenced yard... not saying they haven't been, just saying it's not common enough for us to ever see it. And we spend A LOT of time outside! There's absolutely NO way it was any opossum or raccoon or anything bigger than a small chicken wire hexagon. Not the big chicken wire, it's the small hexagon wire. See?! I'm going insane figuring it out! I can try chalking it up to an egg eating broody... but they disappear at all stages of growth so yolk would be EVERYWHERE with these numbers of losses and there's zero sign of anything left. They literally disappear. At this point, I'm not writing off a Twilight Zone type broody egg black hole swallowing up my eggs when clocks strike midnight.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Possibly a snake that is camped out in your coop somewhere? Or that sneaks in at night, swallows an egg, hides until it is digested, then leaves when you're not around? A snake can squeeze through a very small hole.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How many go missing at a time? My experience with snakes is that they get however many they can, based on size of the snake, then go away to digest them for a couple of days before they come back for more. A five foot rat snake was taking four at a time from under a broody and coming back three days later for more. Snakes can come any time day or night.

If a snake can wrap itself around something it may be able to constrict and crush the egg so it's not necessarily trapped by a small hole, though you'd think an egg that is mostly chick would not crush that much. I had a couple that ate golf balls and could not get back out through the hole it came in, and I had one that ate a one-week-old chick that was trapped. Don't rely on the golf ball trick, it's really rare for one to swallow a golf ball. You can try putting a couple in the nest though, maybe you'll get lucky.

I can't think of anything it could be other than a snake. I once had a small garter snake living in the coop, it was hiding under some steps I had for chicks to go in and out of the pop door with a broody. It was so small I don't know why the chickens didn't eat it, it was that small but snakes can hide really well. I was surprised at how small a hole a five foot snake was using to get in and out, they really don't need much room. I know you've tried to make it as snake proof as possible but check around doors and other openings. Check corners too, that's where my problem was. Is it coming in through your pop door during the day?

When I had a snake in the coop the chickens were making distress sounds but neither the broody hen nor the rooster made any effort to fight it off.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Likely you are experiencing a high percentage of infertile eggs, that spoil while the hen incubates them. Hens have the ability to sense when an egg is spoiled and will often recycle the egg. Spoiled eggs have a high internal pressure and burst easily when they fall or are pushed out of the nest and land on a concrete floor. Hen incubated eggs will not do well unless they are in close proximity to the damp earth.

A slab of green turf cut slightly bigger than the nest and turned grass side down will do a good job of keeping the humidity up to the proper level to ensure a good hatch. A hand full of straw can be added. Before your hen begins to set or lay pour a bucket clean water onto the slab of turf.

 

[cupofJoelene]

Likely you are experiencing a high percentage of infertile eggs, that spoil while the hen incubates them. Hens have the ability to sense when an egg is spoiled and will often recycle the egg. Spoiled eggs have a high internal pressure and burst easily when they fall or are pushed out of the nest and land on a concrete floor. Hen incubated eggs will not do well unless they are in close proximity to the damp earth.

A slab of green turf cut slightly bigger than the nest and turned grass side down will do a good job of keeping the humidity up to the proper level to ensure a good hatch. A hand full of straw can be added. Before your hen begins to set or lay pour a bucket clean water onto the slab of turf.

This wouldn't be my case. I candle at day three and five and discard any infertile eggs very early on so nothing ugly busts open during hatch and ruins the nest! And our new broody pen they are currently in is open ground dirt floor. Thanks for the info!

 

[cupofJoelene]

Possibly a snake that is camped out in your coop somewhere? Or that sneaks in at night, swallows an egg, hides until it is digested, then leaves when you're not around? A snake can squeeze through a very small hole.

I'm definitely on the snake train as far as culprits... but there's literally NO WHERE it can hide from me in the broody pen where I wouldnt see it. I'm not sure how it'd get through the small hexagon wire with a belly full of eggs, either! So interesting...

 

[WVduckchick]

I'd love to know what you figure out!

Maybe next time try a plastic tote? Grasping at straws, figuring the snake theory sounds as good as any. (my broodies hatch in a wooden structure, with only pine shavings as bedding, so I know it can be done without being on dirt/ground)

But mainly I had to comment just to say I love your little avatar bird! What is it???

 

[cupofJoelene]

How many go missing at a time? My experience with snakes is that they get however many they can, based on size of the snake, then go away to digest them for a couple of days before they come back for more. A five foot rat snake was taking four at a time from under a broody and coming back three days later for more. Snakes can come any time day or night.

If a snake can wrap itself around something it may be able to constrict and crush the egg so it's not necessarily trapped by a small hole, though you'd think an egg that is mostly chick would not crush that much. I had a couple that ate golf balls and could not get back out through the hole it came in, and I had one that ate a one-week-old chick that was trapped. Don't rely on the golf ball trick, it's really rare for one to swallow a golf ball. You can try putting a couple in the nest though, maybe you'll get lucky.

I can't think of anything it could be other than a snake. I once had a small garter snake living in the coop, it was hiding under some steps I had for chicks to go in and out of the pop door with a broody. It was so small I don't know why the chickens didn't eat it, it was that small but snakes can hide really well. I was surprised at how small a hole a five foot snake was using to get in and out, they really don't need much room. I know you've tried to make it as snake proof as possible but check around doors and other openings. Check corners too, that's where my problem was. Is it coming in through your pop door during the day?

When I had a snake in the coop the chickens were making distress sounds but neither the broody hen nor the rooster made any effort to fight it off.

I wish I knew how many at a time... but I haven't been checking daily. I just checked in on them this morning and the broody with 9 a couple days ago only has 5! So mad. This new broody pen is closed at all times so I can see our main bird barn pop door letting in a snake but not this one. I so badly wish it were that simple! Lol. After another haaarrrddd look at it, there's absolutely nothing but the wire to get through unless a critter digs a big enough hole under it. Im telling you, if this sucker is getting through this wire with a belly full of nearly grown chicks, I'm going to be floored! Where there's a will, there's a way. I'm pretty sure I have the most willful snake alive!

 

[cupofJoelene]

I'd love to know what you figure out!

Maybe next time try a plastic tote? Grasping at straws, figuring the snake theory sounds as good as any. (my broodies hatch in a wooden structure, with only pine shavings as bedding, so I know it can be done without being on dirt/ground)

But mainly I had to comment just to say I love your little avatar bird! What is it???

I will definitely post the culprit as soon as I get it figured out! Our new broody pen is wood/wire/on dirt ground with pine shavings, too. Something like a tall tote does make sense since I know it has to be a small snake and that may be too tall for it! Maybe?! Lol, I'm desperate!

And thank you. That was one of my favorite Olive Eggers when she was a day old. She was seriously the most beautiful chick I've ever seen!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Likely you are experiencing a high percentage of infertile eggs, that spoil while the hen incubates them. Hens have the ability to sense when an egg is spoiled and will often recycle the egg. Spoiled eggs have a high internal pressure and burst easily when they fall or are pushed out of the nest and land on a concrete floor. Hen incubated eggs will not do well unless they are in close proximity to the damp earth..

The nest will stink really badly when this happens.