Something got in last night!!!! Now chickens are eating eggs!!!!!

[kristen2958]

Last night something got into our chicken housing area. We have a “fence/dog kennel around our coop. Then we have an attached mesh fence area that houses two useless ducks off of the side. There are no signs of anything digging under the fencing so whatever got in, had to of climbed in. This morning I found out our head hen had been killed. Feathers inside and outside the fence and all the bones had been picked clean. One of our ducks is severely wounded as well. My chickens have always come running when they see me walking towards their coop, very friendly little things. Today they are hiding under their raised coop not coming out. I notice that there were two eggs laid under the coop, which has never happened. They always lay in the nesting boxes inside the coop. When I started to make my way under the coop the chickens freaked out and started devouring their eggs. This is my first season with chickens so I am very much a “virgin” in this area. I have read of chickens eating their eggs due to deficiencies or for the fact that they just like the way they taste. Up until today none of my chickens had eaten their eggs. Is this something I’m going to have to battle now? Any advice would be appreciated.
Ps. When my hubby gets home we will be tarping or installing chicken wire on the top of the kennel to keep this from happening again.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It would be helpful if you could post a picture of the remains of your dead head hen. If the skeleton was still articulated I vote for a bird of prey. Hawks are fastidious eaters. Things with claws and fangs on the other hand don't have very good table manners.

 

[aart]

Would help to see a pic of the coop/run where the predator may have gotten in.
A tarp or chicken wire will not keep anything but a chicken or a predatory bird out.

 

[kristen2958]

Its raccoons! I shot three of them last night and three of them got away! Any advice for deterring them? Also should I be worried about my hens eating their eggs since they ate two yesterday?

 

[Puddin Fluff]

if you have racoons I recommmend hardware cloth or additional fencing like your dog kennel is made from. Consider a small weave if the chickens roost near the wire as coons will reach through anything smaller than an inch and pull the birds to them. racoons will rip through regular chicken wire. Do it immediatly as racoons will come back again and again until all their fo0d is gone.

As for the eggs, your girls are very freaked out right now so they are having a kind of stress reaction I would guess. I have never seen this myself but I would think time, patience, and gentle handling would help them get back on track. If you can spend time with them and/or collect the eggs as often as possible through the day, they have less of a chance to break and eat them.

Sorry for your loss and best of luck gettin rid of the varmits.

 

[kristen2958]

Well we ended up shooting 7 coons all together. Havent see one since.

 

[Liane]

I am a wildlife custodian. I rescue, rehab and release raccoons. I've never had an issue with them eating my birds. The only reason they might be eating your flock is because they are starving. They love eggs though. My suggestion is: leave a bowl of really cheap dog food out. It will also keep them out of your garbage.
As for your girls eating their eggs...stress? Or, they got a taste. That's can be bad news. If you can figure out which one is eating her eggs; separate her. Remove her egg, ASAP. Replace it with a golf ball. Once she tries to peck it open and can't...she may give up. There are lots of other google sites with great info on egg eating hens.
Good luck.