Eggs disappear

Into thin air. Do barn rats carry off eggs? Anyway to catch them w/ chicken running loose? I don't see signs of rats but nothing else could get in there.

Snakes used to get ours.

It's in the low 30s day 20s at night figure it's two cold for them

Rats can get them

Is it possible that the chickens are eating them. I'm having the same problem now.

I also had our big dogs take them.

You can use weasel boxes to catch rats without harming chickens. Use rat traps in them or the sticky pads.

Since I've gotten guineas I don't have any rodent problems near the coop. They are also good at keeping away snakes.

We had crows stealing our eggs, owning a trail camera or 2 has solved a lot of mysteries on our little farm.

You've most likely got an egg eating chicken.

Silage
Very good ideal. You put like a 2 inch hole in it?

Don't think it's chicken cause I have left them in the evening and they disappear at night as well as day. But it's very random.

Hey Nate. I’m an avian biologist. Usually when we’re monitoring wild bird eggs and they go completely “missing” with no cracked shells or evidence of where they have gone, it’s snakes. In the field, they take anywhere from 1 or 2 eggs, to a whole clutch at a time.

Grouseman
Can snakes stay active in mid 30 temperature?

Just found your comment where you mentioned the temperature before. I missed that! Usually they’re only active in the winter during a warm spell, otherwise they’re in brumation.

Gets to be a process of elimination. Take what you know and eliminate what is not possible.

Snakes in MO in Jan is not possible.

If eggs are there at dusk and gone in the morning, while chickens are on the roost, not chickens. But only during daytime, chickens eating them is very much a possibility. And bad to have one that does. Hard habit to break.

If chickens in a house that blocks out dogs, skunks, possum, coon or any similar at night, and eggs go missing during the night, not any of those.

Then there are rats. Can get into what looks like a tight house and will eat eggs anytime. If you have a colony of rats, problem is bigger than trapping a few is gonna solve.

X2

Yes i think it's a 2" hole. I also make the box big enough for 2 traps back to back. Even when going after weasels I have a lot of snapped traps or mice caught in the traps. If you use sticky pads in the boxes use the better ones cause rats can sometimes pull out of them.

Sticky pads in weasel boxes are the best mouse traps when other animals are around. Like poultry, rabbits and other pets or livestock.

If your coop is shut up tight at night and there is no place that anything can get in, I'll say it's your own chickens. Rats and snakes still need a hole or space to get in. Probably about the size of a small egg at least. Rats would need a bigger hole to leave with the egg. If you look hard enough you should find evidence of some kind. If your coop isn't shut up tight then it could be anything. Even cats or wild birds. Cats don't eat the shells or leave with the whole egg.

Back to your chickens eating the eggs. They will eat everything. Sometimes all I've found is a wet spot. OR a small piece of shell. This morning I found an egg with a quarter sized hole in it and all the insides gone. It's a hard problem to solve. Or you have to find an get rid of the culprit/culprits. Thats the point im at. Tried everything else. Fake eggs, golf balls, darken the coop/nest area, higher protein diet. Collect eggs multiple times a day.

Good luck to you

I don't feel your eggs are being carried out whole, especially if you feel it is barn rats. They are not going to successfully get an egg that size out without breaking it. Yes chickens do eat eggs and they will eat the shell and all, especially if they are short of calcium, grit etc. You could do some investigating as to do the eggs go missing from specific nest boxes or randomly from boxes, floor etc. As a youth we had a lot of laying hens and we sold eggs for income. We would catch large bull snakes often in a box half full of eggs but never in cold weather. If you keep your coop warm or have places that stay warm you may have some cold blooded species becoming active if temps get to warm levels. To me rats would also be eating the grain and other predators would be interested in your flock so to me you have a chicken or chickens issue and they make good soup.

Bryce

You better believe they do !

LT GREY
Just asking but how do rats carry off eggs? Especially from elevated nest boxes. I know that they will and do roll the eggs. But how in a closed/shut tight coop without evidence.
How big are your rats.

I'd agree that a rat could carry off a broken egg. And that a rat would eat an egg in the coop. But I also believe that it would leave some evidence at some point. And an egg sized escape hole or opening would be easy to find.
.

Well found a egg with a hole in it. So may be a chicken. Maybe? Still not sure very random. Its hard to fish out a random killer.(egg eater)

Q : How much calcium do you feed your birds ?

When birds lay eggs, they lose calcium and can eat crushed egg shell, to regain it back, that's just a fact.
Perhaps, that could be your problem. . .and I say, "could".
I invite you to get and feed 'crushed oyster shell ' to any and all birds laying eggs. I keep it with mine at all times.

Now, to answer your question :
A) They gnaw a hole in the pointed end and after eating some of the egg, are able to hold it in their teeth and carry it off.

Most egg eater start because they’re bored and just pecking things. Then once they learn what’s inside, it continues. All commercial feeds have plenty of calcium, if I’m not mistake the low calcium/egg eating chicken thing was an old wives tale. Its tough to find the one starting it, once an egg is broken they’ll all eat at it. You’ll find lots of ideas online. My best option was not letting the eggs sit in the boxes long. Check multiple times per day if possible.

I also find it happens more often about the hens eating the eggs when the eggs freeze and break open.

LT GREY

Thanks that's what I was thinking. Rats are way to smart.

Once they start eating there eggs it's difficult to stop it. Try keeping food available at all times. Collect often. Try fake eggs or golfballs.

Good luck.

Coons and possum eat eggs

Well I'm going to feed more calcium supplements and maybe when the snow melts off it'll stop. mine are free range but they don't range in the snow. So it may be a situation where they are bored.time may tell.

Set up a camera and stop the guessing. You will know soon after. The issue with chickens eating eggs is best handled by making soup from the violators. You also can make the nesting box in such a way to prevent the chickens from having access to the eggs. I have a mixed breed hen that is next for the soup pot. Watched her stealing eggs yesterday from the nesting box. Have never broke an egg eating chicken. Have eaten several though.

The nesting box has a 14 degree angle on the bottom to roll eggs to the rear. A divider the eggs roll under protects eggs from the chickens. Good luck.