Something is stealing our eggs.

[Telamon]

Quote:
if it is a snake, it would leave the shells behind, it only eats the yolk, not the shell

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

if it is a snake, it would leave the shells behind, it only eats the yolk, not the shell

They can digest the shells.

There are certain Asian and African snakes called "Eggeaters" that regurgitate the shells, but I doubt that's whats in the coop

Most North American snakes just pass the shells through

http://www.google.com/search?comple...gQFT9DYCpQ&gs_upl=4016,453,10,3,167,453,3:1,3​

 

[darkmatter]

If it is a snake, you can eliminate just that snake by blowing out an egg and filling it with salt. A snake swallows the eggs whole and when the egg breaks inside the snake, that much salt kills it.

 

[koifarm]

Most likely a snake as others have posted.
Please don't do the salt in the egg thing...snakes are beneficial and will take care of mice and rats just fine!
Snakes will eat whole eggs and as many as they can gulp down in a sitting, we have yellow rat snakes here in Florida...last one I got had six eggs lined up like six bumps in an inner tube!....when stressed they will attempt to regurgitate and escape but often will be unable to get through a chickenwire fence.
Depending on your situation, it is more than likely that the snake is hanging around waiting for the next easy meal and is somewhere around your coop. Spend some time looking, get a nice stick to move bedding and check under the coop, check the roof/ceiling, check little nooks and crannies and you will soon find his layup and can remove him or her. You must take them at least a mile or even two away from your coop to insure they won't be back. Do be careful when you first find the snake, it could be poisonous depending on where you live, once you identify it you can safely handle it either by hand or with a snake grabber (hardware/feed stores) and put him in a bucket to transport.
Try looking under your bedding if you have hay or suchlike in the nest boxes...often they will curl up under hay to sleep and digest the eggs.
If you're not comfortable handling snakes, see if you have a local wildlife trapper or nuisance animal remover to help you.
Good luck!....get a picture when you find him....

 

[Trunkster]

Here in Ontario Canada we have Black Rat snakes that love eggs and they eat them whole. I wouldn't kill a snake as they also eat rats and mice and othr rodents you don't want in your coop. Ill be putting my nest boxes off the floor to avoid this problem. Rat snakes are not poisonness but for your own peace of mind Google" them for more info.

 

[frogsong]

As far as I know, we don't have any Rat Snakes around here. But we do have King snakes and Gopher snakes and I've read that those will eat eggs.

I happen to love snakes, so won't be killing anything. In fact, whenever I see King snakes in the road I stop and pick them up, yes, with my bare hands, and bring them home. I have yet to have a wild King Snake try to bite me. I let them go in my yard. I do this because King Snakes kill Rattlesnakes, which we also have in abundance.

My latest snake find was a little California Nightsnake. A rare sighting, and I picked it up and took lots of pictures... LOL

If I do find the egg thief, you can be sure that pictures will follow.

 

[patman75]

 

[zazouse]

D'Angelo N Va. :

Good Luck...that seem like a lot of eggs for a snake to get....

I am sure they have more than one snake there area, i know i have a pair right under my walkway that leads to my steps, i see them poke their big heads all the time, but hay between my cats and the snakes i have no rats are mice and my chickens live up by my house.

I have seen the 5 footer with lots of eggs in it trying to get back under the walkway, but i do not mind it is a payment for keeping the roadents under control.​