What happened to the eggs?

[Its Just Us Chickens]

I have a hen setting on some eggs right now. Went out to check on her this morning and something smelled horrible.

There was a dead chick laying by the nest. We picked her (the hen) up and under her was a glob of yellow gook. And 4 eggs were missing with no signs of shells... not even for he dead chick. Where in the world did the eggs go and what happened to that chick?

We cleaned the area up real good, then candled the eggs. Several of them look good, and a couple are porous (sp?) looking.

 

[Mahonri]

Either an egg eater. (I doubt)

Or a snake.

 

[newnanchic]

SNAKE ?? Cpuld have taken the eggs and swalled them and then could have thrown up the one dead chic that you found ? Some times Mom will disguard the eggs that are no good . But If you did not find them kicked out of the nest I would guess snake ??

 

[Its Just Us Chickens]

She did kick a couple eggs out, but counting those and the dead chick we were still missing 4 eggs. I had guessed a snake too, but DH thought a snake would have taken all the eggs.

Any idea what the yellow gook was under her? At first I thought it was going to be a broken egg, but there were no shells, so I don't know.

 

[newnanchic]

I would guess it was the yolk sack from the dead babt chic you fopund it had not absorbed it yet. And if it was a snake it will get the rest tonight if you leave them in the box. I would put them in the incubator.

 

[Its Just Us Chickens]

I don't have an incubator