[oink]

As it says in the subject.  If I collect the eggs in the morning and evening I can collect all of my chicken's eggs.  However, if I leave them for a few days all the eggs disappear.  Its not really a massive problem as I'm planning on hatching the eggs in the incubator rather than under a bird but it is very strange.  When they disappear there is no sign of broken eggs at all. 

Any ideas what it may be?

[doganjo]

Rats or birds.  I lose some to both rats and magpies if I leave the henhouse door open too long (two of my ex batts won't use the pop hole

[oink]

Thanks doganjo, I did wonder about that but I assumed that rats or birds would break the eggs and leave some sign of the egg.  Am I mistaken?

[faith0504]

hiya i have seen magpies fly off with full eggs, sit on the lawn and eat em, so im going with DOGANJO, 

[doganjo]

Rats will too, they take food back to the nest for the babies.  My painter found loads of eggshells in my gutters a few weeks ago - remains of magpie feasts!

[Hardfeather]

Or hedgehogs. They will even take eggs from under broodies and are oblivious to any protest from the hen.

[tazbabe]

we have a problem with crows, we have seen them flying off with full eggs.

[oink]

cheers guys,  after thinking one of our chickens had been caught by the fox for the last 2 days I've found her snuggled up in a bonfire sitting on some eggs.  Any chance she could have been taking them and moving the eggs from the shed to her nest?  I can't really picture a chicken moving an egg but then again they do constantly surprise me.

I haven't been able to see how many eggs she's sitting on but I guess if twenty chicks hatch in 3 weeks I'll know it was her moving them all along!

 

[princesspiggy]

my eggs get snaffed by my dogs if im not careful, even our gsd and labrador can squeeze through a pop hole when she wants too! hardly ever caught in the act either...

[doganjo]

cheers guys,  after thinking one of our chickens had been caught by the fox for the last 2 days I've found her snuggled up in a bonfire sitting on some eggs.  Any chance she could have been taking them and moving the eggs from the shed to her nest?  I can't really picture a chicken moving an egg but then again they do constantly surprise me.

I haven't been able to see how many eggs she's sitting on but I guess if twenty chicks hatch in 3 weeks I'll know it was her moving them all along!

 

I wouldn't have thought a hen would move an egg very far as they are more likely to shuffle it along then anything else.  If they tried to pick it up with the beak they'd crack it wouldn't they?  Is your hen safe?  If not I'd try to get something under her nest and around it if possible then move her, the eggs, and nest in a oner to a safe and secluded place.

[Beewyched]

Hiya 
Agree with Annie here - get your broodie into a safe place asap.

As for your dissapearing eggs - we have problems with the magpies snaffling them - sometimes bits of shell & yolk left, but they do take them whole.  We also lose some to our hens stupidity too - laying in the pig's byre 

[john2708]

i had rats take 12 duck eggs in one night of one of my muscoveys also iv seen crows taking ducklings

[oink]

The hen is safe from the fox.  I let the hens free range in the spring, summer but in the winter they stay in the pig pen which has 6ft wire buried a foot under ground and an electric fence around the outside.  She's in the pig pen and there won't be any pigs till way after the eggs have hatched.

I found some rat droppings in the chicken shed so it looks like you all guest right.  I've put some poison down (chickens can't get to it) but I am a little worried that the rats will try to get the broody hen and her eggs.  Strangely, I think she's probably safer at the moment in her own nest than in the chicken shed!

[Beewyched]

Careful with the rat poison Oink (guessing you've got pigs) if the poisoned rats crawl off somewhere to die & the pigs get to them ... 

[oink]

thanks Beewyched  - I'm what you'd call a fair weather pig keeper  .  2 fatteners a year, this years wont be coming for a while.  I'll keep an eye on the dog though...