Protecting my broody hen's eggs from snakes

[cochinfan]

I have two cochin hens sitting on nests on the ground in the coop. They are too big to get in the nest boxes and have always laid their eggs on the ground. I really, really want to experience them hatching some chicks but the eggs keep disappearing. I'm assuming since there are no shells around that something is swallowing them whole. Would snakes go under a hen to get the eggs? I know it happens during the day when I am gone. How can I protect these hens' eggs?

thanks!

 

[ranchhand]

You bet they will! I finally resorted to covering a wire rabbit cage with hardware cloth all over, and moving the broody hen and her nest inside it, early on. I give them food and water, but I also let them out twice a day for a runaround, dustbathing, whatever they want. They let me know when they're ready to get back in.

For the most part, if it's a small hatch, I keep the hen and chicks in there until the chicks are big enough to defend themselves. Right now I have a bantam Cochin with 8 new chicks- I'm thinking I need a bigger cage!