good morning everyone!
I am working on a mystery. Thursday evening, I went out with a flashlight and candled the eggs my broody AM is sitting on. I had given her 2 blue eggs, 2 australorp eggs, and one white egg. I could see the 2 brown and 1 white egg pretty clearly, and they all had little chickies in them. The blue eggs I couldn't see through at all.
Saturday morning, I went down to the coop and she had 2 brown and 2 blue but NO white egg under her. I marked the eggs I gave her, so I'd know which ones to leave there when the others would give her more (which they have pretty consistantly). I immediately came in and checked every white egg I had in the house. No writing, and I even took them all (and the light) into the closet and candled them. All clear. I still haven't found that egg, there was no sign it was cracked or eaten in the nest, so I'm thinking I have an egg thief......
Just to be sure it's not a 'human' egg thief, I put locks on the doors and the nest box lid. I really don't think it was a person though, good grief I've given all the neighbors eggs. Although we do have some new neighbors across the road behind us, and one morning I went out and the gate to the run was standing open (has also had a lock put on it now too)
Yesterday morning, some of the things I had put in storage overhead in the coop, were in the floor. I'm suspecting a snake or rat. Today I'm cleaning it out up there and see if there's any other evidence. I also have plans to get the divider ready in the run today so I can spend the rest of the week in the deer woods. I'm thinking I may put the trail camera in the coop and see if it will show me anything other than chickens in there.