My horror - Chick eater

[kizanne]

Somewhere in my coop I have an egg eater. I knew this and haven't yet caught them. My broody was sitting on 7 or 8 eggs. One was broken early I thought it was a mistake that maybe mama made. Well they are only a few days from hatching and 2 eggs have just disappeared and the other eggs have some blood on them. I believe my egg eater got up in the nest when mama went to eat and ate those eggs, chicks and all.

I was dumbfounded, shocked and horrified. I have removed the remaining 5 eggs from mom and have them in the hatcher. I also think I know now who it was. Poor babies. I never expected that.

 

[mstricer]

They can be broken it the broody hen and another hen is fighting over the same nest. If they get a crack everyone will eat it. Just sneak in, if you can, at various different times of the day and catch the culprit. Good Luck,
Michele

 

[kizanne]

That explains the early broken egg. Doesn't explain why two eggs only 2-3 days from hatching are gone with blood left on the other eggs. I think that who ever is eating eggs actually ate the unhatched chicks. There were no bodies or egg pieces left. Just the blood on the other eggs. A snake would have eaten them whole. I haven't seen any evidence of rats and I have seen a hen eating eggs since this weekend.

I'm just shocked that two babies obviously were broken out and something must have eaten / dragged them off since they weren't there.

 

[dolly85]

Oh yeah, if you have an egg eater that chicken will eat unborn chicks as well. Chickens are omnivores meaning they will eat meat just as readily as plants. Eating eggs can be taught to the other chickens as well so identify the culprit(s) and get rid of him/her immediately!