Rats or snake?

[Byrdj]

I had two broody hens each sitting on a clutch of eggs. The eggs were due to hatch today so when I went to check, there were no eggs or chicks in the nests, not even eggshells. Do you think it was a snake or the rats that got them? I know I have some rats living in the coop but figured they would have left the eggshells if they ate them.

 

[math ace]

I with you - - - no egg shells leads me to think Snake - - - BIG SNAKE if the whole clutch was missing.

He'll be back. Check during the night over the next few days and you should catch the visitor in action ! !

 

[cluckiemama]

I'm so sad! So sorry to hear your sad news.

 

[Lbrad7]

I agree with the earlier post...snake and a big one!

 

[Louieandthecrew]

SNAKE! One of my broosy hens eggs were due to hatch in one week and a snake got in, killed the hen, and ate all but one egg wich turned out to be infertile. But when we went into the coop the next day to get her body we found two living chicks that we didn't even know existed! Anyways, that snake was a five foot long chicken snake (aka rat snake) and it ate six of the seven eggs all by its self. When my grandpa found it (on his walk) he shot it twice with a spray gun (a gun that when a bullet is shot it brakes into a ton of different bullets and "sprays" the object being shot at) and he choped of its head.

To keep snakes away you can put moth powder around the OUTSIDE of the coop. You can also put golfballs in the laying boxes. Then the snake will sense the eggs, eat them, then eat the golfballs mistaking them fot eggs. The end

Good luck!

 

[33yardbirds]

I would go with rats. Chisel toothed vermin need calcium for rearing young. They will even knaw at shed deer antlers for the minerals and calcium contained in them and egg shells are a great source of protien from the contents and the shell will provide the other. Rats will also grab and run with a chick, they don't like to share.

 

[akmcclure]

I raised snakes for years. Had from 1ft kingsnakes to 13ft pythons. The one thing alll snakes hate....hard liquor or alcohol in general. I had a black snake problem. I took some old t-shirts, tore them in strips and poured cheap whiskey, and some rubbing alcohol on them and laid them around the outside of the coop, and around the woodpile I figured he was staying in. haven't had any trouble since.
A. K. M.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
VERY INTERESTING. So a can of bud light should fix this problem ! This bud's for you

 

[Byrdj]

I looks like a snake gets more votes. The more I think about it, I think a snake also because it seems like if it were a rat, there would be some remnants of the inside of the egg left on the nesting material when the egg was broken. Well, unless they eggs were almost fully developed when eaten! Louieandthe crew, it's interesting that you said all but one infertile egg was left. I only had one egg left also and it was infertile! I wonder if the snake (or rat) could tell that the egg was rotten and that's why it was left.