Now what do I do? Egg thief...

[Jeffross1968]

So, apparently we have an egg thief of some sort. I've gotten in the habit of leaving eggs until there are at least 2, before removing them. This morning, when I let them out to free range there was one brown egg in the laying box. I left it, and went out for a few hours. My wife was home and she checked in on them a few times, noticing nothing. When I returned, I went out to see if anything else laid, and the egg that was there was gone. Now, I'm going to be very worried that whatever took it will now know where a daily meal is. Any input on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[poseygrace]

Could you set up a camera and see what's taking them? Could be the chickens eating them, or could be a snake or another predator. Hard to know how to deal with it till you figure out who's doing it!

 

[Attila the Hen]

You can look at my recent discussion titled Snake in the nesting box. A snake was eating the eggs and today a heavy marble egg I leave in the nest box was gone!! I think it might have eaten it! Still not certain what is going on. NO eggs yesterday and today found most of them hidden somewhere else. The chickens have done that from time to time--laid them somewhere else where I have had to find them. (that was the reason for the marble egg--which I hope I find--I did like it)

 

[Jeffross1968]

Seriously, since it was daytime and the coop was open for them to lay in while they free range all day, it could have been anything. If it was anything other than a snake, would there have been evidence? I don't know...I really don't have the ability to set up a camera. Feel like I'm going to have to be out there every 10 minutes going forward, LOL!

I can't believe the snake would eat the marble egg??? I've heard of chickens moving eggs, but I can't imagine it would be too far, and there's never been evidence of that happening. Would a hawk or large bird be interested? I noticed a very large winged bird fly overhead at one point. Then again, I live in the forest so it really could have been anything. The chickens seemed unfazed, so I'm not sure they were even around when it happened. I've seen some product, something like "snake b gone" or something similarly silly sounding. Supposedly repels snakes? Is that stuff toxic...even work?

Really was getting comfortable finally with letting them out to free range all day until this happened. I can't even keep them cooped up until they lay, as I often get late afternoon laying. Don't know what to do...

 

[justtoni44]

our egg thief is squirrles....
run off with a whole egg in thier mouth....................

 

[valley ranch]

Or a raccoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jeffross1968]

Aren't raccoons typically night time scavengers? Squirrels are a definite possibility. They're everywhere...

 

[Alexander]

Grab your .22-250 and start having fun!

 

[m_shuman]

Quote:
You can use lime to repel snakes. sprinkle it around your coop.

 

[schellie69]

Check for squirrels this happened to me last year. I kept finding eggs gone and just laying around the pen. My son went out and saw a squirrel coming out of the coop with an egg, he let his beagle mix dog out no more problems with squirrels,