RATS

[chicken-nipples]

I am so upset, the day before my babies were to hatch, rats stole the eggs,

Now I have not seen a rat, but the eggs were all gone and a friend spotted a tunnel beside the chicken house that has been obviously dug out, grrrrrr

 

[Ridgerunner]

Frustrating, isn’t it. What kind of signs were left behind? It would be unusual for rats to steal the eggs and leave no signs behind. How many eggs were taken?

I have had snakes do that, the eggs were eaten under a broody hen, no signs left at all. One day in the middle of the day I walked into the coop and a 5’ black snake was looped around the hen, she was just sitting there in a trance. It got away before I could stop it and the next morning four of the eggs were gone. Four was all it could eat at one time. It went away to digest them and came back a couple of days later and got the rest.

I don’t know what other critters you might have in New Zealand but that sure sounds like a snake to me.

 

[kuchchicks]

I agree. I think it was probably a snake. I had the same thing happen but instead of eggs the snake actually eight new chicks. It has been my experience that rats will sometimes eat the eggs in the coop. You'll see broken shells and bits of leftover. Snakes tend to swallow them whole.

 

[Cari C]

I am so upset, the day before my babies were to hatch, rats stole the eggs,

Now I have not seen a rat, but the eggs were all gone and a friend spotted a tunnel beside the chicken house that has been obviously dug out, grrrrrr

Do you live in AZ, NV or CA? We have ground squirrels and they seek out the eggs with chicks in them... ugh. I have rats & mice, the mice eat the eggs where they are and leave the shells mostly intact, the rats will carry the eggs off and eat them elsewhere. I found a couple of leftover shells in my garage, still have no idea how they got them there!!!

 

[Cari C]

Do you live in AZ, NV or CA? We have ground squirrels and they seek out the eggs with chicks in them... ugh. I have rats & mice, the mice eat the eggs where they are and leave the shells mostly intact, the rats will carry the eggs off and eat them elsewhere. I found a couple of leftover shells in my garage, still have no idea how they got them there!!!

Oh yeah, MASSIVE tunnel structures with ground squirrels! So sorry for your eggs being taken, it's awful.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am so upset, the day before my babies were to hatch, rats stole the eggs,

Now I have not seen a rat, but the eggs were all gone and a friend spotted a tunnel beside the chicken house that has been obviously dug out, grrrrrr

It's kinda hard to read the red lettering against the background color..... Lots of old eyes out here.

Gary