What in the world is eating my eggs during the day

[eriks_address]

Hello,

I have 6 chickens, 2 of them are not yet laying and I get on average about 3 eggs a day. Recently I noticed that eggs have been going missing during the day. From time to time I check the nests but dont always collect the eggs as I am sometime on my way out. For the last few days eggs have been turning up issing from the coup. Today their were 3 when I checked and when I went to collect them 2 hrs all but one were gone. No shells, no yolks, no whites, nothing.

To your knowledge, what could be doing this during the days that isnt going after the hens. I do have a dog but gave her an egg and she didnt know what to do with it. I was doing yard work all day and dont remember the neighbors dog being around. I have a feeling that this have been happening more that I know.

I live in the country side in CA. We have coons, fox, skunk, coyote, hawks, lions, eagles, bobcat to name a few but none of them ever give us a problem here.

Your thoughts???
Thanks in advance!!!
Erik

 

[what was i thinking]

your chickens?
do you have an egg eater?

 

[bobbi-j]

Rats or skunk. Last year we had a skunk lurking about during the day. A few years ago, I couldn't figure out why the feed was disappearing and there were no eggs. In the spring when I cleaned all the bedding out of the coop there were several holes in the floor and rats kept popping their heads up to see what was going on. (The coop was put on stilts shortly thereafter) Hope you figure it out and can take care of the problem.

 

[bobbi-j]

Wouldn't an egg eater leave some shell or yolk behind? That's been my case, anyway.

 

[what was i thinking]

this morning when i got home, i checked my smaller coop. there was a green egg in there, but i didn't let anyone out. they free range and i wanted to see if anyone else was laying yet. but when i went out later, my husband had let them out. i asked what he did with the green egg and he said that there wasn't any eggs when he opened it. i climbed into that little coop to look around, looking for yoke or something and there was nothing.
there is no way for anything to get in the coop, all that was in there was four hens and a roo, and my prized green egg.

 

[Tala]

Could be a snake, they can fit through fence, and if it's big the chickens might not attack it.

 

[eriks_address]

Perhaps a skunk. Last year we also noticed some broken eggs on the other side of the coup. It backs against a wall that has a very small amount of ladas that a critter like a rat could get through but we believe that was at night. I have lived here for a long time and have yet to see a skunk during the day. Further more I was working not 30 yards from the coup. I would hate to think it was my dog but do you think eggs would show up in her poop? Rats usually do their work at night dont they?
Any more thoughts???

Erik

 

[Tala]

put an egg inside a live trap and see if you catch anything!

 

[justtoni44]

We have ground squirles.they will run off with a whole egg in thier mouth.
I would suspect one of the hens though.
I bought three beautiful Delawares a few months ago.
I was collecting eggs and had them in a carton on the garden bench.
I turned to see one of the Delawares eating an egg..................she had the whole thing gone in a matter of seconds.....including the shell. I couldn't believe it.
I knew I wanted her gone so the next day I set an egg in the same place..she was on it like a flash...
I grabbed her and put her in a box. While I was busy with her, a second Delaware jumped on the table and repeated the action.................They both went to the feed store and I gladly accepted $5.00 a piece for my $26.00 worth of hens.
I do not know if theywere lacking something in thier diet or not.....but did not want this habit passed to my flock.
I have read some possible solutions on the threads here since then..but not sorry their gone..........
Except, they really were beautiful.

 

[rufus]

I have a similar problem. I have ten hens and one rooster. Usually, I get seven to eight eggs. But for the last two days I have gotten one egg from a hen that I know lays late in the day. Also, both days the doors to the nest box were left open.

The chickens are in my large backyard which is surrounded by a seven foot wall. Both gates are locked.

However, I also have homeless people living in my alley. I suspect two legged skunks. Tomorrow I will be on stake out. What I will do when I catch them, I am not sure about.

Tomorrow is another day.

Rufus