What is getting my eggs?

[JecaRaven]

I have been noticing that lately I been loosing eggs. I have a little coop with a nest box in it. I have my two hens trained to jump up into it to lay. The last few days I haven't gotten a single egg, so I thought mebe they were laying else ware, but the coop is near my bedroom window and I hear one of their egg songs every mourning. The second hen lays in the afternoon so I have been getting the eggs after she gets off, because she will change her nesting spot again if we don't.

Today I went to collect the eggs and found one big egg with a hole in the top. On other side of the nest there was a splash of yolk goo and three tiny pieces of blue shell. both hens are Americanas and have different blue colors. I have never seen any squirrels, rats, or birds in the little coop. A hen can't eat an entire egg without making a big mess... This is the first time I have had any evidence.

We have two large dogs in the yard who joyfully eat eggs, but cant get to them in the coop. All of the thefts happen during the day...

What do you think it was?

 

[sourland]

My first guess would be a crow. Do you have ravens? Also a bluejay might be the culprit.

 

[JecaRaven]

My first guess would be a crow.  Do you have ravens?  Also a bluejay might be the culprit.

We have scrub jays that live near us. Could they realy take a full egg?

 

[sourland]

I'm not sure about scrub jays. Blue jays will work as a group. Punching a hole and slurping up the contents until the egg is light enough for one of them to fly off with it. Snakes are also a possibility, but the hole in the egg made me think 'bird'.

 

[JecaRaven]

Wow! I never knew they could do that! I wouldn't put it passed a scrub jay. They are bratty birds who kill baby chicks for the hell of it. My father in law lost an entire batch of chicks being raised by a broody in this yard.