Where did it go??

[ksanders71]

Last night we got home late so I checked for eggs at night. We have one chicken that routinely lays her eggs on the ground. Anyone know why? Well it was there on the ground but it was under where all the chickens roost. I wasn't willing to walk under the chickens to get it. I figured I would send my husband in the coop to get it in the morning. The next morning it was gone. There was no sign of it. Not even any egg shells. Would they have eated it, shell and all? Can they move them up to the nests? Where the heck did it go?

Thanks for any help.

Kim
http://glutenfreegreenmommy.blogspot.com/

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

huh...do you maybe have a snake in the coop? They could have possibly ate it but usually you will see signs of slimy whites in the shavings.

 

[ksanders71]

I have an unnatural terror of snakes. I hope you are wrong. I may have to move if you are right. Although I guess that makes the most sense. i hadn't thought of that. UGH!!!

 

[Wynette]

When they eat eggs, you often times do not find any evidence of it...they eat the entire egg, shell and all. So, it wouldn't surprise me if that's what happend in this case. Hope that's not what's going on, because once they get a taste for eggs, it's very hard to break them of the habit. That's why it's a good idea to collect several times a day, and get the eggs before they do! GOOD LUCK!

 

[ksanders71]

We are usually out there looking for eggs a half dozen times a day. But the one day we were busy (Halloween) this happens. Great!

They are also pecking at each other. Many of them have bald spots on their backs. What is this about? They have lots of room and are out of direct bright light (which I read can cause this). Are these things related? How do I stop this?? Maybe I should have posted this in another thread...

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I think I would rather it almost be a snake that took it! Breaking hens of eating eggs is almost impossible and they seem to teach the others to do it as well! Maybe they broke it on accident and just happened to find the yummy left overs and didn't really realize what they did.
When we got our new hen a few months back we had her in confinement for 30 days so she didn't pass on any illnesses to my flock and she was eating eggs! I was so worried she would not stop but they were broken on accident and when she was moved to the hen house she laid and left the nest with the eggs whole! Thank goodness. I would make sure you grab the next egg laid under the roosts! Poopy head or not!

You don't want any egg eaters in the crowd that's for sure

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Do you have a rooster? The bald spots are prob caused from them if you have them. Are the spots down by the tail area?

ETA you may also want to check under the wings (wing pit) too see if you can see any bugs...maybe they are just itching and causing the feathers to fall out.

 

[jossanne]

Check them for mites and lice. This can start a picking problem.

 

[ksanders71]

No we don't think we have any roosters. (We would know, right?) And yes the bald areas are by their tail feathers.

To look for lice or mites would I see them on top or at the skin level?

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions.

 

[Fudgie]

Look at this website for pictures of lice and mites and how to take care of them.

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf