What might be getting my eggs?

[aderenzo]

I found 2 egg shells so well broken open in nest box. I don’t think it is a chicken. There was one egg left in that nest box the dirty one. Other 3 eggs were from another nest. What do you think it is and how can I get rid of it?

 

[sgrum15]

What area are you in? It could help narrow down what might be getting to the eggs. Mice would be a good guess. If you don't see any signs of rodents around the coop then I wouldn't rule out a chicken eating the eggs since it's in the nesting box and most of the shell is still left.

 

[cmom]

I've heard cats and mice both with crack open the eggs and eat them. I'm no expert however so it's just an opinion.

What area are you in? It could help narrow down what might be getting to the eggs. Mice would be a good guess. If you don't see any signs of rodents around the coop then I wouldn't rule out a chicken eating the eggs since it's in the nesting box and most of the shell is still left.

I would say a chicken. Put up a game camera and see if you can find out.

 

[Cookiesmith77]

I've heard cats and mice both with crack open the eggs and eat them. I'm no expert however so it's just an opinion.

 

[igorsMistress]

Chickens. They could have broken an egg when laying by knocking them together and cleaned up the mess. Unless you catch the perpetrator in the act you won't know. That means a camera or lots of visits to the coop. Good luck.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

So this is what I found today. Yesterday no hens layed in that nest box. Today the plastic nest egg was on the ground of the coop with bite marks and indentations (pretty hard to dent these eggs). It is almost like one nest box is being targeted at a time. I still don’t think it could be chickens for I’ve had that problem years ago and no what it looks like. It is almost like it comes in between 8 AM and noon. My chicken door is automatic 8” x 11” opening 1 foot off the ground.

Would a raccoon be so bold in daytime? I’m going to put my porcelain eggs in and let it break a tooth. Picture is different side of same nest egg.

If those eggs are as hard as you say they are you can rule out mice. Raccoons are seldom out in the day, but Rats are. You said you are in FL... there are other small mammals there too like muskrats. I think the only way you are going to solve exactly who it is, you are going to need to watch all day or get a game camera.

Nice thing is you can rule out chickens at this point unless your hens have sharp little teeth!

 

[cmom]

I live in Florida too near Ocala. This is what I use and they work great. Only the rats and mice can get to the poison bait and you can check the bait through the little window on top of the rat bait box. I put them in my barn which is behind my coops. If the rats get in the coops I'm sure they are in my barn too. The bait that came with the rat bait box didn't work as well as the other bait I bought. The rats generally dig tunnels and will go down in the tunnels and die. I had a coop that was infested. I moved the birds to another coop and when I started renovating the infested one, rats came out of everywhere. They were jumping and scurrying all over. Some nearly landed on me so I got the bait boxes and some bait. There were dozens of rats.

 

[aderenzo]

Yesterday they hit all the fake nest eggs in all the boxes with little teeth marks. I set up a field camera and waiting to catch them. I’m afraid it might be squirrels. Will post pic when I get one.

 

[aderenzo]

What area are you in? It could help narrow down what might be getting to the eggs. Mice would be a good guess. If you don't see any signs of rodents around the coop then I wouldn't rule out a chicken eating the eggs since it's in the nesting box and most of the shell is still left.

I’m in Northeast Florida. I was thinking it may be mice. I haven’t seen any evidence of them though. No hens layed in that nest box yesterday My coop is pretty well sealed with an automatic door that opens at 8 AM and closes at 8 pm.

 

[getaclue]

Mice, or rats would be my first guess.