What could have killed my broody hen and took her eggs?

[LunaRegina]

I went to my lot this morning for my morning chicken routine and I go to check the one hen I have setting and her nest is completely empty. All her eggs are gone, no shells or anything. I then look a few nests over and see her, dead. She has no bites or cuts or anything that I saw. She just looks like she dropped dead. Can anyone PLEASE tell me what could've done this? I am thinking a poisonous snake but I really hope not. I live in southeast USA and mostly around where I am it is black snakes which are not venomous but we have copperheads and the occasional rattlesnake as well. Any ideas are welcome and I thank you in advance.

EDIT: Not sure if it makes a difference but the victim hen is a small bantam as are all my chickens.

 

[BoomChickaPop]

I would think a snake. Cause snakes will eat the eggs whole and you won't find a trace of them. And since she was a bantam hen, one bite is all it would've took. But I wonder why what ever killed her, didn't eat her?!!??!
It's a mystery lol
I am sorry for your loss


BCP

 

[BirdMachine]

I went to my lot this morning for my morning chicken routine and I go to check the one hen I have setting and her nest is completely empty. All her eggs are gone, no shells or anything. I then look a few nests over and see her, dead. She has no bites or cuts or anything that I saw. She just looks like she dropped dead. Can anyone PLEASE tell me what could've done this? I am thinking a poisonous snake but I really hope not. I live in southeast USA and mostly around where I am it is black snakes which are not venomous but we have copperheads and the occasional rattlesnake as well. Any ideas are welcome and I thank you in advance.

EDIT: Not sure if it makes a difference but the victim hen is a small bantam as are all my chickens.

Raccoons tend to do that a lot and they kill the parents because they protect there eggs and than they take the eggs and eat them but usually drop behind egg shells... You could put out some bate and try and catch it on tape.

 

[carlf]

Not a Venomous snake, they don't eat eggs and they are ambush predators. A venomous snake is not going to crawl up into a nest box looking for a chicken, which is to big for it to eat.
A rat snake would eat the eggs but even a bantam is too big for the largest constrictor native to the southeast US.

My vote goes to raccoon, possum or skunk.
Sure there are no visible injuries?
Is it possible for a coon, skunk or possum to get into the coop/run?

 

[LunaRegina]

It is not possible for a raccoon, skunk, or a possum to get into the coop. I am wondering if it could be a chicken snake as I read a story on the forum about a few instances where the snake goes after the eggs under a broody hen, she attacks, and then the snake retaliates and kills her. It has to be something that can kill the hen without leaving a mark and get all the eggs without even breaking them. I'm scared to even go back to my coop this evening because of this. I sincerely hate snakes so much.

 

[carlf]

Well, if there is no way for a larger critter to get in, then it very well could have been a large rat snake.
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